


The Times I Asked You To Stay

by candiedillusions



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Best Friends, Break Up, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Canon Universe, Canonical Character Death, Dreams and Nightmares, Drunk Shenanigans, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, End Game Spoilers, Episode Prompto Spoilers, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Heartbreak, High School, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, Pining Noct, Pining Prompto, Poor Prompto, Pre-Canon, Underage Drinking, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-02-17 11:45:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13076196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candiedillusions/pseuds/candiedillusions
Summary: Through the years, Noctis finds himself realising how much he wants Prompto in his life - and that he'd do everything to make him stay.Through all the happiness and heartache, no matter what life throws at them, Prompto knows there's one thing that will never change - he'll always be by Noctis' side.A promptis-focused tale, featuring snippets of their lives intertwined.





	1. At the Beginning with You

**Author's Note:**

> And I'm back! Been working on this idea for quite a while, and was tempted to post it as one continuous work, but I think breaking it down might be more digestable. The first few chapters will be short, sweet, and full of Promptis fluff, so enjoy it.... while you still can. >:) 
> 
> See you at the end!

**[ O N E ]**

 

Noctis was nervous. 

He had invited Prompto over to his apartment, as casually as he could, for video games after school. They hadn’t known each other that long, really, but they were the best of friends already. Noctis wasn’t sure how it happened, but Prompto had slapped him on the back on the first day of school and decided they would be friends. Six months later, after days of arcade-hopping after school, too much trashy diner food and a mandatory background check by the Crownsguard, Noctis was walking back to his apartment with Prompto in tow, who looked equal parts excited and nervous as he rambled on about the latest Assassin’s Creed they were going to play. 

“Oh man I’ve been waiting for it for ages! I can’t believe you managed to get a copy so soon man, I mean I know you’re the Prince and all, but does that mean you get first dibs on ALL the new game releases?! That is waaaaaaaaay cool man,” said Prompto, as he swung his school bag over his shoulder as they exited the elevator.  

Noctis chuckled, fishing for his keys, before unlocking the door to his apartment. “Not all, actually. But Ignis knows I dig this series and.. Well.. he may have convinced me to do a couple of publicity shoots in exchange for the game, pre-release. No way I’m passing that up!” 

“Dude, that’s a sweet deal!” cried Prompto, clearly impressed. “Is there anything that Ignis can’t do?!”

“Yes, as a matter of fact,” an accented voice rang out from within, and the Prince’s advisor stepped out from the kitchen. “Getting our dear Noctis to eat his vegetables, for one. Cleaning up after himself is a close second.”

Noctis groaned as Prompto let out a small giggle and extended an arm to Ignis. “Hi! I’m  Prompto, um, Noctis’ friend from school. You must be Ignis!”

Ignis gave Prompto a discreet once-over, and Noctis noticed the little crease between his brows ease up a little. Relieved, Noctis let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding.

“Ignis Scientia, Prince’s Advisor, though most of the time I fill the role of all-round nanny as well,” said Ignis as he took Prompto’s hand, shooting a knowing glance at Noctis. The Prince scowled back. “Delighted to finally meet you. Noctis has told me so much about you.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Specs. The game here yet?” Noctis waved Ignis off hurriedly, as he dumped his bag unceremoniously on the table and made a beeline for the couch and console. 

“Of course, I always hold up my end of the bargain. Have fun, boys,” said Ignis, as he busied himself around the apartment. 

Prompto squealed in delight and joined Noctis on the couch, as they oooh-ed and ahhh-ed at the opening sequence of the game, smacking each other on the arm like excited fanboys as the cinematics started. They spent the next few hours passing the controller back and forth, yelling out suggestions (“There Noct, make that jump!”) and obscenities (“Take that, you stinking garula asshat!”) much to Ignis’ dismay, bouncing off the couch and cheering whenever one of them made a particularly stylish assassination. Having Prompto around made the game about a hundred times more intense and five hundred times more enjoyable. 

Noctis hadn’t had this much fun in ages. 

After three spectacular game-overs in which Noctis mangled the mission beyond recognition, Prompto took over the controls with determination in his eyes and a smug look on his face. 

“Get ready to eat my dirt, Noct. Watch and learn, and marvel at the wonder that is  _ Prompto Argentum, _ ” said the blond, tongue sticking out ever so slightly in concentration, as he maneuvered his character to the precipice. 

“Is that right now, Prom?” Noctis responded with a devious grin, watching Prompto getting ready to make the jump. At the very last second, Noctis delivered a swift jab to Prompto’s side, where he knew the blond was deathly ticklish. Prompto jumped, squawking in an octave that teenage boys shouldn’t be able to hit, and missed pressing ‘X’ by a mile. His character fell face-first to his death while Noctis cackled in his face.

“OH YOU’RE ON NOW, CHEATER BUG!” declared Prompto, abandoning the controller to jump on Noctis, fingers going wild and worming all around his waist, tickling the heck out of the future King of Lucis. Noctis, being the ever-dignified royal that he was, was caught somewhere between laughing uncontrollably, screaming and crying from laughing, while desperately trying to block Prompto’s quick reflexes. 

After the squawks eventually died down as the boys tired out, Ignis peeked out from the kitchen. “I’ll be making preparations for dinner soon, lads. Prompto, will you be staying for dinner?”

Prompto, still flushed from the tickle-battle, looked to Noctis with uncertainty plastered across his face as he struggled internally for the right thing to say. 

“Um, I don’t want to impose...” Prompto started to say. 

“Nonsense,” Noctis cut in, with a warm smile on his face.  “C’mon Prom, don’t go. Stay for dinner?”

Now even Prompto’s ears had gone red. He gave a small, tentative smile, as he looked at Noctis, then turned to Ignis with a grin. “Well.. I hope it’s not too much trouble! Thank you very much for your hospitality, Ignis!” 

“Not at all, Prompto,” said Ignis, clearly delighted to have someone else taste test his dishes for a change. “I hope you like vegetable stew.” 

“Treason!” yelled Noctis, with Prompto dissolving into laughter, “I want pancakes, Iggy!” 

Later that night, as Prompto raved for the upteenth time about how heavenly Ignis’ cooking was, Noctis found himself smiling, a warm feeling spreading from his chest to his fingertips. His quiet apartment, which once offered all the isolation and privacy he had craved for years, was suddenly too big for just him alone. 

He hoped that Prompto would agree to stay more often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dinner inspired and brought to you by [this wonderful work of art by bev-nap](http://bev-nap.tumblr.com/post/153245115415/a-short-little-comic-i-conjured-up-where-noct-gets). 
> 
> Scream about Promptis and FFXV with me on tumblr at [ @candiedillusions](http://candiedillusions.tumblr.com/)! :D


	2. It's Only A Feeling...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chap practically wrote itself, so have a quick update!

**[ T W O ]**

 

It was completely, utterly, a hundred and _ten_ percent Prompto’s fault.

It was his turn to pick a film for movie night, and for some reason he picked the latest horror flick that according to the reviews on The Insomnia Times, was “The scariest thing you’ll ever see”. The reviews weren’t wrong.

As the credits rolled, none of the four boys on the couch moved - not even Ignis Mocker-of-Horror-Movies Scientia.

“Um guys. Can someone get the lights, please?” said Prompto in a shaky voice, the glare from the TV screen flickering on his face.

“Gladio? Please?” Noctis chimed in, tightening his grip around the chocobo plushie Prompto had brought over, leaning closer to Prompto in a definitely platonic not-snuggle. The blond didn’t seem to mind.

Gladio groaned and tugged a protesting Ignis out from under the giant blanket that they were all huddled under, steering the other man in front of him like a meat shield as they walked over to the wall on the other side of the room.

“There, you giant babies,” said Gladio, as light flooded the hall.  

“Like you're any better, Gladio. Now unhand me,” Ignis insisted and slithered out of Gladio’s reach.

Gladio stuck his tongue out at the back of Ignis’ head like the mature, twenty-year-old he was.

“Well, what now?” asked Noctis.

“We… could... play some board games? Get our minds off things?” suggested Prompto, tugging nervously on the blanket he wrapped around himself.

“Oh that’s a great idea, Arkham Horror just arrived in the mail today, we should play that,” said Noctis.

Prompto made a face. “I think I’ve had enough horror for a night, thankyouverymuch.”

“Or. _Or._ We could break out my secret stash.” Gladio grinned wickedly, already making a beeline for the top cabinets in Noctis’ kitchen.

“ _Gladiolus Amicitia_ ,” warned Ignis, “Do I have to remind you that neither Noctis or Prompto are of legal drinking age?”  

“C’mon Iggy, we’re almost eighteen anyway! No one’s gonna find out!” said Prompto, excited by the prospect of trying his hand at something _adult_ and _forbidden_.

Ignis arched a brow. “Nice try, Prompto, but that’s not for another ten months.”

Noctis shrugged to appear nonchalant, but a smirk was definitely playing on his lips. “Sure, let’s do it. It’s not like I’ve never had alcohol before - how many glasses of champagne have you had me toast with at official functions, Iggy? How is this different?”

“That is both a formality and tradition. Besides, you sip champagne like a refined gentleman when you toast, not down it all in one gulp like some heathens I know,” Ignis retorted, casting an withering side-eye at Gladio.

Gladio returned with an armful of beer cans, glasses, and a bottle of whisky, pointedly ignoring Ignis’ disapproval and poured everyone a shot.

Quickly, he placed his hands on Ignis’ shoulders and gave them a nice squeeze, one that Gladio knew would release most of his tension. He worked his way into the advisor’s tense shoulders. “C’mon Iggy, loosen up. At least we can train their alcohol tolerance here in a safe place, so they don’t royally embarrass themselves when they are actually legal.”

“...I suppose there is some truth to that,” Ignis sighed and relented, knowing full well that Gladio was using his weakness for massages against him. Gladio was so good with his massages that Ignis didn’t mind trading his left kidney to get one every night.

“Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do,” said Gladio while rubbing his palms together, a mischievous grin dancing on his lips. “We’re gonna play some drinking games. I’ve got like an entire arsenal, but the simplest and most classic guessing game is... Five-Ten.”

Prompto was captive already. He inched forward, still huddled under the blanket he refused to relinquish. “How do we play that?”

“Simple,” Gladio started to explain, “Each person holds out one fist. You can only put forth either a five or a zero, nothing in-between. We’ve got four fists here, so the probability is between zero to twenty. You’ve just gotta guess what the total number on the floor would be. The person who goes after you has to drink a penalty shot if you guess correctly, and you get to guess again, so knock yourself out trying to get him drunk. If not, the turn moves down until someone else gets it right.”

Noctis groaned in protest. “You want me to _math_ while drinking?!”

Ignis chuckled at the Prince’s indignance. This was an idea he could get behind.

“Come now Noct, it’s simple addition. Besides, I see it more of a psychological challenge, trying to predict your opponent’s next moves and using a combination of speed and misleading signs to goad them into making move advantageous to you,” said Ignis.

The way Noctis’ eyes had glazed over after the first few words made it perfectly clear that it was lost on him. Ignis let a smirk tug on his lips. The less he heard, the better. This was going to be fun.

-

An hour and too many rounds later, Prompto was completely, utterly, shitfaced drunk. Noctis wasn’t doing too great himself, but at least he seemed to a tad bit more sober.

Ignis had predicted their guesses every step of the way. Gladio was somewhat of a veteran, and even Ignis had trouble keeping up, but between them both, they laid waste to the two younger boys.

“Okay, that’s quite enough for the night,” said Ignis, ruffling Prompto’s hair as the blond leaned heavily against him.

Prompto was _definitely_ a clingy drunk.

“Noooooooooooo Iggsyyyyyy. Nope. Gonna beat chu at this. Forty-fifth time’s the charm. Imma guess... FIVE!” cried Prompto, holding two fingers up in a ‘peace’ sign.

Gladio guffawed and snapped a photo. “Prompto, what did I tell ya? Only fives and zeros! That’s a two!”

Noctis scowled openly at Prompto, who screeched and seemed to have draped himself over Gladio while trying to snatch his phone to delete the offending photo in question. Gladio just held his phone high above his head beyond Prompto’s reach, laughing the entire time. Noctis felt his stomach clench as Prompto practically climbed into Gladio’s lap.

“Can you guys not like... do that,” said Noctis, his disapproval clear on his face.

Gladio couldn’t resist a jibe.  “Why, are you actually _jealous_ , Prince Charmless?”

Noctis felt himself flush red. He decided he had enough, so he stood up, turned on his heels and walked towards his bedroom, declaring that he was going to bed.

“G’night sleeping beauty,” said Gladio, “Don’t worry, I’d take Prompto home.”

Noctis froze in his step, right in front of his bedroom door. He suddenly spun around, marched back to the table where Prompto was still draped across Gladio and pulled Prompto up, snaking his arm tightly around the blond’s waist to support his weight.

“He’s not going anywhere. He’s staying here with me tonight,” said Noctis.

“Noooooooooocccctttttttttttttt buddy, my best brrrrooooooooooo, the bro-est bro that ever bro-ed, are you like bringing me to bed? YOUR bed? Your big ass comfy bed? Dude, I don’t put out that easily, I’ll have you know...” Prompto rambled and slurred as he stumbled beside Noctis.

“Shut up, Prom, just get to bed,” said Noctis, closing the door on Ignis and Gladio. Stumbling noises could be heard from inside the bedroom, accompanied by a loud “oof” that sounded suspiciously like Prompto being flopped unceremoniously on the bed. Then there was silence.

A beat passed, as a very bewildered Ignis and Gladio sat at the table, exchanging confused looks.

“What on Eos just happened?” asked Ignis.

Gladio scratched his chin. “More importantly... Did Noct just get bro-zoned five times in one sentence alone?”

“Seems to be the case.”

“Poor kid.”

-

Noctis lay in bed, wide awake and drunk as hell. On a scale of one to ten of bad ideas, this was a solid hundred.

Drunk Prompto was clingiest creature in the entire Eos. He had draped himself across Noctis, snuggling him so tight that the Prince hardly dared to breathe. His heart was hammering at about a million miles per hour and he was going to die of cardiac arrest. Iggy’s going to burst in tomorrow to find a really dead prince still tangled up with his really drunk best friend. The media’s going to had a field day.

Prompto shifted and nuzzled closer, his entire body pressed along Noctis’ side. He sighed, and moaned a soft “Noocct...” into the crook of his neck.

Noctis’ brain short-circuited as he felt the warm breath hit his skin and all the blood in him rushed to that traitorous member twitching to life between his legs.

 _FUCK_ , thought Noctis, _NOT NOW._

Prompto shifted again, mumbling something incoherent this time. He rocked his hips forward into Noctis, and Noctis, drunk as he was, still couldn’t help but notice that Prompto was half-hard too.

Noctis jumped out of bed faster than he had ever done in his life and practically ran to the bathroom, running the coldest shower he’d ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Poor Noct xD  
> 2) Legal drinking age in my country is 18 and I'm sticking to that  
> 3) Five-Ten is a real drinking game extremely popular where I'm from. You really cannot math after you've taken one too many shots. Recommended only if you want to get shitfaced in the shortest possible time.  
> 4) Next chap might take awhile as I'm _struggling_ to hammer it out but... I'm trying T_T
> 
> \- 
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [@candiedillusions](http://candiedillusions.tumblr.com), I'm 100% down to talk FFXV all day errday.


	3. Neon-Coloured Sparks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sorry this took so long, starting a new job totally kicked my ass, and I'm completely out of my depth, and was a little unmotivated to write for awhile. But dork boys are calling me, and I can't help but give them some attention, so here's your update! :D

**[ T H R E E ]**

 

Noctis had been keeping his distance.

Of course, Noctis could never avoid Prompto outright - their lives were too intertwined - but he tried his darnest to keep a physical distance ever since that drunken incident a couple of weeks back where _absolutely nothing_ at all happened.

Noctis couldn’t bear it - each touch was like fire, and it set his heart hammering with a vengeance. So he carefully slid out of the casual touches, an arm slung over the shoulder, the playful shoves, and they all but disappeared overnight.

From the looks of it, Prompto seemed to have noticed his change in behaviour too.

They walked out of school together on a Thursday afternoon, the promise of long weekend of video games and junk food hanging in the air, a respectful distance between the two of them. Prompto tugged his scarf tighter around his neck against the frigid wind.

“Hey Noct, what are we gonna do this weekend? You’ve got any plans for the winter solstice break?” asked Prompto, trying to seem casual. But the blond didn’t know what to do with his hands - whether he should drape himself across Noctis like he usually did - and it showed in his nervous fidgeting.

“Uh.. Gotta be at some ball or gala or something tomorrow evening, and I’m spending the afternoon with my dad before that, but other than that my weekend’s free. We could totally do a  gaming marathon,” answered Noctis, his mind yelling at him to sound normal and not to overthink every word.

Prompto hummed an acknowledgement non-committedly.

“So, shall we head back to my place for some King’s Knight?” asked Noctis.

Prompto trudged beside him, quiet for awhile. He rubbed the back of his neck, then smiled at Noctis hesitantly.

“You know what, buddy,” Prompto started. “I think maybe I'd head home this weekend instead.”

Noctis furrowed his brows.

“Why?”

Prompto shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“It’ll be winter solstice soon. You’ll have Princely stuff to do at the citadel. And I thought maybe I’d spend it with my folks this year.”

Noctis knew for a fact that Prompto’s parents hadn’t spent the winter solstice or any other festival with him, not once since they became friends, but he held his tongue. His displeasure probably showed on his face anyway.

He bit his lip. “If... that’s what you want,” he said.

“Yeah buddy,” Prompto said, with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’ll be nice to spend it with them for a change.”

They reached the busy crossroads where they parted ways to head home. Waving as they separated, the two best friends headed off in different directions.

Noctis crossed the street, his head whirring with a million questions. He missed Prompto almost immediately. A whole weekend without seeing Prompto? This arrangement was clearly a mistake. He turned around to see if he could tempt the blond with promises of takeout pizza from his favourite corner stall, but Prompto had already disappeared out of sight.

-

Prompto shut his apartment door as fast as he could to keep the cold out. Sometimes the heater was a little wonky, and it took forever to warm the house, and he really didn’t feel like freezing to death alone today.

He dropped his keys on the kitchen countertop and opened the fridge to fix a snack, pointedly ignoring the quickly scribbled note taped on the refrigerator door that he’d read a few weeks back.

_Prompto - sorry we got called away again - but hopefully we’ll be back for the Eve of Winter Solstice. No promises. - Love, Mom & Dad _

The fridge had some leftover takeout that had been there awhile, and a few bottles of water. He’d forgotten about needing to get groceries. Again. Prompto threw away the boxes and opened the cupboards absentmindedly, looking for anything vaguely edible.

Noctis hadn’t texted - usually he would be blowing up Prompto’s phone the minute they we out of sight, but today, it was radio silence. Coupled with the fact that he had been so distant... Prompto really didn’t know what he did to cause the sudden change in his best friend.

_Maybe you’re imposing, genius. You may be his best friend but maybe he doesn’t want to hang out every damn day. Or maybe he’s just tired of you._

Prompto sighed and shut the cupboards after the fourth one he tried returned empty. He really didn’t feel like braving the cold for groceries. Resigned to being hungry, he flopped down onto the couch and let himself wallow in self pity for the next few hours. It was better that way - with no one else around, he didn’t need to try so hard to keep up his smile.

It’ll be Winter Solstice Eve tomorrow. Maybe, with some luck, his parents might actually make it back this year.

-

A couple of districts away, Noctis sighed and flopped onto his couch. He thumbed through his phone applications, considering starting a couple of rounds of King’s Knight, but closed it eventually. Prompto was sure to get whiny if he knew Noctis was leveling his character without him.

Noctis’ finger lingered on Prompto’s contact. He wondered if Prompto was home, and if he was, what he was doing. Should he text? Would he be interrupting Prompto’s time with his parents? What if he didn’t want to be bothered?

Flipping the phone onto the nearby table, Noctis groaned and turned over to bury his face in a stray cushion. How was everything so complicated now, and why can’t he remember what was normal between his best friend and him?

Noctis wasn’t an idiot. He knew that he had a giant crush on his best friend. His only friend, really. This would’ve been problematic enough if he was a regular guy - it was an outright disaster as the Crown Prince of Lucis.

So what else is he supposed to do but keep his damned distance, as much as he wanted Prompto by his side?

-

It was the Eve of Winter Solstice. Prompto got up early like he always did, headed out for a quick run because he was _not_ about to freeze to death, and ducked into a grocery store to grab some festive treats.

Making it back to his apartment before noon, he took a quick shower, before starting his prep work. He’d make some winter solstice cookies, and maybe some roast and a pudding. That should be enough for three people. Nothing too fancy, or he might burn his apartment down, but something simple like following recipes from the internet shouldn’t be too hard, right?

 _Alright,_ thought Prompto, _Let’s do this!_

Four hours of intense cooking and cleaning later, Prompto was incredibly proud of his hard work. He even managed to fold fancy cloth napkins and decorated the table with paper snowflakes and the likes. Patting his hand dry on a paper towel, he snapped a few quick photos of his homemade spread and uploaded them to his social media with the caption - _Chef Prompto in the house! [plate emoji] [chef hat emoji]_

It was almost dinner time. Now all that’s left to do is wait for his parents to come home.

-

Noctis was idly checking his social media, waiting for his appetisers to be served at the annual Winter Solstice gala. His dad was seated a few seats down at the head of the table, while Ignis sat next to him engaged in conversation with some... political dignitary he couldn’t remember the name of.

He stopped scrolling at an update from Prompto, who clearly spent a lot of effort fixing up a festive dinner. The spread actually looked good.

 _Huh,_ thought Noctis, _guess his parents did make it home after all._

Quickly opening up his messenger app, he shot a text to Prompto.

 

> Noct : [Screenshot sent]  
>  Noct : well done  
>  Noct : u didn’t burn the house down  
>  Noct : [thumbs up emoji]  
>  Prom : ー(￣～￣)ξ  
>  Prom : i’ll have u know i could give iggy a run for his money!  
>  Noct : tell that to his face  
>  Noct : i dare you  
>  Prom : ヽ(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ  
>  Prom : pls no noctttt have mercy im too young to dieeeeee  
>  Prom : (シ_ _)シ

Noctis snorted at Prompto’s response and tried to pass it off as a cough. Next to him, Ignis stiffened and tried to nudge Noctis under the table discreetly, but missed his foot but a mile. Ignis winced internally as his heel made audible contact with the marble floor.

Noctis didn’t even notice.

 

> Noct : dork.  
>  Prom : how’s the royal parteehhh  
>  Noct : a royal pain  
>  Prom : isn’t that u, buddy  
>  Noct : RUDE.  
>  Prom : [angel emoji]

Ignis cleared his throat loudly and gave Noctis a discreet but pointed _look_. Noctis gulped.

 

> Noct : oops, got caught by specs.  
>  Noct : gotta put phone away  
>  Noct : text ya later. save me cookies.  
>  Prom : ok buddy, happy winter solstice eve!!! o((*^▽^*))o

Noctis shoved his phone back into his pocket and put on his Princely smile, moving to actually start a conversation with... whoever the heck was sitting across him.

He missed Prompto. It was going to be a long night.

-

Dinner time came and went. At 9pm, Prompto sat alone at the dinner table and ate his roast and pudding. He packed the leftovers and placed them in the fridge, before heading to bed.

Grabbing the chocobo plushie that Noctis had won for him in the arcade, he hugged it tight as he thumbed through his prized photo album. Photos from a distant past when his parents still did things like family dinners, birthday cakes and Winter Solstice Eves. They hadn’t spent one together in years - not since Prompto was still a child. He felt a heaviness in his gut, and swallowed deeply to push away the tightness in his throat. Guess it was silly for him to believe this year would be different.

Flipping past those older shots, he settled on more recent ones. His fifteenth birthday when Noctis bought him a cake and made him wear a furry chocobo hat all day while laughing about it looking just like his real hair. His sixteenth birthday, when Noctis bought him his first real professional camera, and they all huddled in front of the giant cake Ignis baked, and Gladio stuck rabbit ears behind Noctis, and Prompto grinned so hard his eyes disappeared. Just a couple of months ago, on his seventeenth birthday, when Noctis surprised him with a trip to Moogleland, and they ate so many sweets and candy apples that they were almost sick, and took all the rides including the kiddy ones, and wore ridiculous headbands with flying moogles all day and took about a million selfies.

Prompto smiled fondly at a shot with Noctis and him holding out cheesy ‘peace’ signs in a close-up selfie. He traced his finger down Noctis’ cheek in the photo, his heart filled with a familiar ache.

He missed Noctis.

Grabbing his coat and scarf, Prompto took the cookies from the fridge and left his apartment.

-

It was an hour to midnight, and the ball seemed to drag on forever.

Noctis stood in a corner of the ballroom, trying to seem as small as possible so no passing nobles would take it upon themselves to strike up yet another conversation with him, or Astrals forbid, actually ask him to dance.

Thumbing through his messenger app again, he tapped on Prompto’s name instinctively.

 

> Noct : how’s the party  
>  Prom : well, u know. food was good.  
>  Noct : sure, if u say so.  
>  Noct : no selfies?  
>  Prom : didn’t take any  
>  Noct : ...YOU didn’t take any selfies?  
>  Noct : who r u and what have u done with my best friend  
>  Prom : just didn’t.  
>  Noct : prom....  
>  Prom : ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Noctis pursed his lips. Something was definitely wrong.

 

> Noct : where r u now  
>  Prom : [image sent]  
>  Noct : city skyline looks amazing.  
>  Noct : also, looks oddly like... the view from my apartment’s rooftop  
>  Prom : bingo.  
>  Noct : stay there. don’t go anywhere  
>  Prom : yeap.

Quickly texting an apology to his dad, Ignis and Gladio for missing the gala finale, Noctis grabbed his coat, swiped the keys to his car and took off.

-

Noctis made it back to his apartment in record time. Pushing open the door to the rooftop, he quickly tightened his scarf as the cold night wind tugged on his cheeks. He found Prompto instantly, sitting on their favourite spot that looked out to the citadel. Despite Noctis wanting to run _away_ from the citadel most of the time, he couldn’t deny it was still the most impressive building in all of Insomnia.

Sitting down next to Prompto, he noticed that the blond didn’t lift his head.

“Hey,” Noctis started.

“...hey,” Prompto answered.

Noctis shifted uncomfortably, moving to place his hand on Prompto’s shoulder, before losing his nerve and retracting it.

“How’d you get up here anyway?” Noctis settled on asking.

“Pretty sure your security guy thinks I live here, dude.”

“Fair enough,” Noctis chuckled. “I might as well make you a key by now.”

A beat passed between them, with Noctis silently freaking out at what he just said _out loud_ , while simultaneously giving himself the biggest internal facepalm ever.

Prompto however, huffed a laugh.

“You know what, you’re absolutely right. Your place feels more like home than my home ever did anyway.”

It wasn’t obvious, but Noctis caught the hitch in his voice. His heart ached.

“I take it that they didn’t make it home for Winter Solstice Eve...?” he asked.

Prompto was quiet for awhile, his knees drawn close to his chest, arms wrapped around them. After a moment, he nodded.

Noctis took a deep breath, then placed his arm around Prompto’s shoulder. Prompto relaxed into Noctis’ hug and let himself be pulled in.

“I should’ve known better,” Prompto said. “I thought it’ll be different this year. Now I’m gonna be eating leftover roast and pudding for the next three days, dude.”

Noctis laughed and hugged him tighter. “Well, I could help you finish it. If it doesn’t give me food poisoning first, that is.”

Prompto smacked him hard on the thigh and the Prince squawked indignantly. The boys playfully shoved each other and laughed. Huffing from the cold, they settled back down and Prompto leaned his head against Noctis’ shoulder.

“I missed this, buddy.”

“Yeah... Me too, Prom.”

Prompto was pensive for awhile. He chewed on his lower lip, and in a small voice laced with hurt, he asked, “So... why did it stop? What did I do wrong?”

“What? No! I... It’s not something you did, nothing’s wrong, Prom! I swear!” Noctis stuttered.

“Look, Noct, you’re pretty much the only person I have left,” Prompto said. “If I’m doing something you don’t like, something that makes you not want to hang out, you’ve got to tell me. I don’t wanna lose my best friend.”

“Prom please, it’s really nothing like that. You’re not gonna lose me, no way in hell that’s going to happen, I just-”

“Then why can’t you even look at me anymore, Noct?” Prompto looked Noctis squarely in the eye, demanding an answer.

Noctis flushed red and looked away.

“I can’t say.”

“Why?”

“Because then I’d lose you.”

“Noct, buddy, pretty sure there’s absolutely nothing you can do to make me leave your side,” Prompto scoffed, hand on his hip in annoyance.

“Oh yeah?” Noctis quirked a brow.

“Try me.”

“Fine,” Noctis said, turning to look at Prompto. “Don’t regret it.”

He moved towards Prompto.

At that very moment, the citadel clock struck midnight and the annual fireworks were released into the sky, illuminating the night sky with sparkles of gold and silver. Cheers could be heard ringing through the city. The lights reflected off Prompto’s golden hair, making them glow, and they danced across his pale blue eyes. Noctis felt his breath leave him as his heart hammered in his chest so loudly that he was certain Prompto could hear it. Prompto darted his eyes towards Noctis’ lips for a split second, before jerking them up to meet his eyes again. Was he... moving closer?

Noctis went for it.

Closing the distance between them, he slipped a hand behind Prompto’s head and kissed him, lips meeting in a soft, chaste touch. Prompto instantly wrapped his arms around Noctis’ waist and pulled him in, deepening the kiss with desperate fervour. With each kiss, their grip tightened and they pulled each other closer, as if their very lives depended on it, as if they wanted nothing more but to break down the layers between them to press flesh to flesh, soul to soul. 

When they finally pulled away, Noctis pulled Prompto in and buried his face in his neck.

“I can't believe it," said Prompto. "That’s why you were acting so strange?”

Noctis lifted his head and looked sheepishly at him.

“I thought..” he said. “I didn’t think it was possible you’d feel the same. So does this mean I’m not actually going to lose you?”

Prompto smiled with the radiance of a thousand suns, and kissed him again.

“You’re an idiot. I told you, nothing can make me leave your side. I’ve loved you forever, Noct.”

Oh. _Oh._

Noctis finally realised that he didn’t have a crush on Prompto after all.

Astrals, he was in love.

Noctis felt a warmth bubble up in his chest and explode into neon-coloured sparks that rivaled the winter solstice fireworks. He snuggled into Prompto's warmth. 

“Stay with me always, Prom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PROMPTIS KISSES AMIRITE? 
> 
> You know where to find me! [@candiedillusions](http://candiedillusions.tumblr.com)


	4. Somewhere Between Sorrow and Bliss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: READ THE TAGS. Rating has been updated, so you know what that means. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Short update, a transition chapter until we're all aboard the ANGST TRAIN, but I hope you enjoy it :)

**[ F O U R ]**

 

Noctis jerked awake. He was drenched in cold sweat, heart pounding and panting hard as if he’d been running. Whipping his head around, he quickly realised he was in his own bed. Prompto snoozed blissfully beside him. 

_ Another night, another nightmare.  _ Noctis let his head fall back into the mound of pillows, staring hard at the ceiling that was still dark. His breath came in shallow spurts and he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Taking a deep breath, he felt a wave of nausea sweep over him as he tried to orientate himself. 

He couldn’t quite make sense of his dream. It had started off like it always did - he was a child again, with the scent of blood and fumes from the car wreckage burning his lungs as he lay on the ground in a crumpled, bloodied mess. His nanny was dead beside him, arm still wrapped around his small body. The giant Marilith was rising up quickly before him, head tilted, a sword in each of its many arms, ready to strike… 

Then everything shifted. 

He was… older than now, but not by much. He was driving the Regalia alone, on a long and winding road in a vast countryside he didn’t recognise, chased by Imperial airships. They shot at him, and the Regalia overturned in utter wreckage, sending him flying. Suddenly he was on a bridge, fighting and warp-striking Imperial soldiers, falling as the ground opened up underneath him into utter darkness. Also, he remembered fighting.. Luna? 

Noctis blinked hard and frowned. Why on Eos would he fight Luna? He shuddered, remembering her lifeless body in his arms when she had fallen. Had he killed her? Nothing made sense. 

He remembered being transported to an endless metal hallway, fighting MTs in an Imperial base with nothing but his father’s ring. He could still feel the poisonous green fumes fill his lungs, and a tinny, mocking voice crackling overhead about seeking his ‘heart’s desire’. An MT rose from ground, grabbing his ankles as he struggled to break free, frantic with panic about reaching…  _ something _ in time. But he had only ever seen pictures of MTs, so how could he have imagined the way they creaked to life in such creepy detail, raising their metallic arms and swinging axes at him?

He remembered the dream shifting again for the third time. He was floating in… space? It was a vast expanse of blue, and he felt like he lingered a long time. When he opened his eyes again he was sitting upon his father’s throne. No, _ his _ throne. He was much older now. The pain in his chest tore through him, causing him to bend over and reel. The throne room was in darkness and completely wrecked, rubble strewn across his feet, with the sickly sweet smell of disease strong in the air.  Raising his gaze, he saw his father poised in front of him, sword in hand and blade raised. Their eyes locked for an instant, and then his father struck a blow with such force that Noctis was pinned to the back of the throne. 

Noctis shook his head and gasped shakily, placing a hand over his pounding heart. He could still feel the pain of the blade piercing his chest. Clenching hard at his shirt, he trembled. Something shifted in him, and his vision grew blurry with hot tears he couldn’t hold back. 

Beside him, Prompto fidgeted in his sleep. Noctis tried,  _ goddammit he really tried _ , to curl on his side and muffle his sobs with his balled fist so he wouldn’t wake Prompto, but his boyfriend suddenly jerked awake. Prompto blinked blearily and propped himself up on his elbows, all thoughts of sleep banished from his mind when he realised Noctis was trembling. He reached out to Noctis, a hand on his shaking shoulder. 

“Another nightmare, Noct?” Prompto’s voice was soft, shaky, and a little uncertain.

Noctis didn’t trust himself to speak, so he nodded. 

Prompto turned on his side and scooted towards him, draping an arm across Noctis to pull him close against his chest. He slid an arm underneath Noctis’ head, gently threading his fingers through his hair.

“That bad, huh? Shhh… I’ve got you, Noct. I’m here now. I’ll keep you safe,” whispered Prompto, as he snuggled into Noctis’ back and planted soft kisses on his shoulder.

Noctis turned to face Prompto and buried his face against his chest, allowing himself to melt into the warmth. He felt Prompto cradle his head, while running his palm along the length of his spine in soft, soothing motions. The weight helped ground him, but he still shuddered as he clung on to Prompto as if for dear life, and it took a long while before the sobs died down.  

“I’m here,” Prompto repeated, trying his best to convince Noctis. “It was a dream, Noct. This is real. I’m real.” 

Noctis suddenly realised that Prompto, too, was shaking. The loud thundering heartbeat that Noctis heard was Prompto’s. 

“Prom..? Babe, did you have a nightmare too?” Noctis asked. 

Prompto shifted uncomfortably, and clung tighter onto Noctis. He nodded. 

“Want to talk about it?”

Prompto fidgeted with the sweatband he wore around his wrist, even to bed. 

“I’d rather not, Noct. I... I don’t remember much.”

Taking a shaky breath, Noctis exhaled and tightened his grip around Prompto’s waist. “Then don’t let go of me. Stay, please, just stay with me like this.” 

Prompto kissed his forehead gently and played with the hair at the back of Noctis’ neck.

“Nothing on Eos could possibly pry me away from you, Noct.” 

Noctis leaned up and kissed Prompto, at first planting feather-light kisses along his jawline, before moving to capture his mouth in a deep, desperate kiss. Noctis  _ needed  _ Prompto, and he wanted Prompto to know it. His hands dug deep into the side of Prompto’s waist, and a moan escaped from him. 

“Want you, Prom,” Noctis whispered against Prompto’s slender neck, leaving open mouthed kisses along his throat. 

Prompto shuddered and bucked his hips, letting out a unbridled moan. 

“I’m yours, Noct, always have been,” Prompto raked his fingertips along Noct’s back, tracing his spine, nipping at his ear, before giving it a teasing lick. 

Feeling the familiar heat pool in his belly, he flipped Prompto over in one swift move and straddled his thighs, hips grinding down onto Prompto’s half-hard cock, wasting no time in growing it to its full length, and reducing Prompto into needy mess.

Prompto gasped, the friction both too much and not enough at once. He tugged urgently on Noctis’ waistband, urging his boyfriend to take the  _ damned  _ thing off, while his lips found Noctis’ lips, both crushed together with tongue dancing and darting against each other. 

They made quick work of losing their clothes amidst the tangle of limbs. Noctis placed himself between Prompto’s legs and pinned him against the headboard, exposed and open, while Noctis worked a finger, then two into him. Prompt was beside himself with pleasure, holding tightly onto Noctis as he moaned with every thrust, before he started to move in rhythm to Noctis’ beat. Noctis was almost painfully hard, watching his boyfriend come undone in front of him, needy and moaning his name and lips pressed against every inch of his skin. 

“Need you, Prom,” Noctis stared straight into Prompto’s eyes, his gaze darkened and primal, want dripping from his words.

Prompto pulled him in close, leaning in to whisper. 

“Take me,” Prompto said breathily, lips ghosting along the shell of Noctis’ ear. 

Noctis didn’t need to be told twice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I originally wrote this without smut, but my brain decided to go back and insert some, so.. here you go?  
> 2) Also please be gentle it's legitly my first time writing smut. Let me know what you thought of Smut Lite?  
> 3) I've at least got the next chap already written, so you can expect an update next week!1 :D (Who's still reading this though?)
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [@candiedillusions!](http://candiedillusions.tumblr.com)


	5. Fall to Pieces

**[ F I V E ]**

 

“Noctis. You are to marry Lady Lunafreya.”

Noctis dropped his fork onto his plate. The clang it made rang through the conspicuously empty dining hall, with only him and the King seated on small table reserved for the occasional private dinners between them.  

“I have to _what?!_ ” cried Noctis, not bothering to conceal the shock on his face.

“Those are the Empire’s terms for the treaty. Give up the lands outside Insomnia, and as a gesture of good faith to unite two nations, you and the Oracle are to be wed,” said Regis. He looked completely worn out, the greys around his temple more pronounced than usual.

Noctis sat at the table with his mouth agape, unable to believe what he had just heard.

“And you believe them? What makes you think they won’t stab us in the back while we have our guard down with the whole treaty signing going on?”

“I know of your reservations, and believe me when I say I’ve considered those options myself,” Regis placed a hand on Noctis’ shoulder. “I’m afraid that this is our best choice.”

“But..” Noctis started.

“I know this is not easy for you, Noctis. And I’m sorry it has to be this way. But you are the Crown Prince. Your marriage to the Oracle can bring people hope, and peace to two warring nations. It will stop the needless deaths of thousands. This war can end with us.”

“I know that, but... Dad, I... I’ve got...”

“Prompto?” Regis filled in the blanks.

Noctis’ eyes went wide.  

“I may be old, but I’m not quite senile, Noctis. I’ve known for years,” said Regis, with a small, sad smile on his face. “I know it’s not fair that I’m asking you to give up Prompto for the sake of peace. But you have your duty to the Crown, and you have your duty to the people of Lucis.”

Noctis hung his head low, staring intently at his hands. He clenched them when he realised they were starting to shake.

Regis took Noctis’ hands in his, giving them a light squeeze. “I know it will be painful. But hold your head up high, and be proud to do your duty. If it’s any consolation, at least you’ll be marrying Lunafreya. She deserves happiness too, Noctis. We’ve left her in the hands of the Empire for far too long. It’s time to make things right.”

Noctis understood. Truly, he did understand, even if every fibre of his being was screaming out against it. He hated that he understood, and he hated that he couldn’t find a single flaw in his father’s logic. He knew what he had to do, for the greater good. He was a fool, allowing himself to believe for so long that his life belonged to him.

Noctis gave his father’s hand a light squeeze back, before letting them go. Slowly, Noctis slid out of his chair and stood, while Regis followed his movements with a concerned gaze.

“Noctis...”

“I’ll do it, Dad,” said Noctis, his voice small, betraying a vulnerability he’s always been careful not to show. “I just..”

Noctis turned away, hung his head low and whispered, “I don’t know if I can say goodbye.”

Regis stood slowly, leaning heavily on his cane. He walked over to Noctis and placed a hand on his shoulder, hesitating, before pulling Noctis into a one-armed embrace.

“My son. You are stronger than you know. And you will walk tall.”

-

The ride back to Noctis’ apartment passed in utter silence. Ignis tried for a few times to engage Noctis in conversation, but it would’ve been easier to goad an answer out of Shiva’s cold, dead corpse.

Eventually, Ignis gave up, settling for an uncomfortable silence. He pretended not to notice the occasional swipe the Prince made across his face.

-

Had Noctis paid attention to any form of media on his phone, or had allowed Ignis to turn on the car radio, it would have prepared him for what was waiting back in the apartment he essentially shared with Prompto by now.

But he didn’t. So he stood outside his apartment door for a long while, lost in his thoughts, delaying the inevitable. He ran a million scenarios through his head, unsure of how to broach the subject.

How could he waltz in and expect everything to turn out okay? What was he supposed to say? _Hey Prom, I love you and the past three years have been fun, but I'm gonna break up with you to marry Luna now, hope you're okay with that! We good?_

Noctis winced. Everything would change once the door was opened. There’s no going back from there. He took a deep breath, braced himself, and turned the knob. He wasn’t ready for what he found.  

Prompto sat ramrod straight at the edge of the couch, eyes transfixed on the television with an enthusiastic newscaster on the screen. Silent tears were running down his cheeks, his face shell-shocked in disbelief.

_“In a historical moment today for both the Empire and the Kingdom of Lucis, a peace treaty is being negotiated between the two nations. While exact terms of the treaty are unclear at the time of report, according to a Nifilheim spokesperson, a royal wedding is on the cards. The Crown Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum is expected to wed The Oracle, Lady Lunafreya of Tenebrae, and the nation is overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect of this royal match! Rumours say that the Crown Prince and The Oracle are childhood sweethearts, and have been smitten ever since they met as children. What a fairyta-”_

Noctis grabbed the remote and turned of the television. He sat down at the other end of the couch. Prompto didn’t move.

A beat passed.

“So I guess you heard.” Noctis’ question was met with silence. “...I’m sorry.”

“When were you going to tell me?” said Prompto, barely above a whisper.

Noctis shrugged, his head in his hands. “...now?”

Prompto laughed bitterly. “So I have to find out from the evening news that my boyfriend is getting married to someone else? Noct, buddy, I know you’re bad with words but that’s cruel, even for you.”

“I found out today, too,” said Noctis quietly, pressing his palms into his eyes. “It’s not like they... even asked me.”

Prompto inhaled sharply, as though he was about to retort, but it died on his lips.

They don’t know how much time passed between them, sitting still in silence, the distance between them an unbridgeable chasm.

“So when’s the wedding?” Prompto asked eventually.

Noctis looked at his hands. He couldn’t face Prompto, not right now, and he had the feeling it was mutual. “In three months. It’s going to be held in Altissia.”

“Altissia, huh,” Prompto huffed. “We always did say we wanted to go there someday.”

“Prom...”

“Do you love her?” Prompto cut in.

Noctis shifted in his seat. “Not that way. You know that.”

Prompto’s voice was so soft Noctis almost missed it. “Could you come to love her that way?”

Noctis winced. He couldn't lie to Prompto, he never could, and Prompto didn't deserve half-assed truths. He sighed.

“Luna is very dear to me. I’ll have to try, at least. It wouldn’t be fair to her if I didn’t.”

Prompto looked away, his head hung low, as though all hope he had was crushed with Noctis’ words. He stood up abruptly, and headed into the bedroom. Noctis could hear drawers being opened. After a moment, Prompto emerged with a duffel bag full of his belongings, and made for the door.  

Noctis stood up, anguish clear on his face as the finality of the situation started sinking in. “Prom, please...”

Prompto hesitated, his shaking fingers hovering over the doorknob. But he didn’t turn around.

“Noct…” Prompto’s voice was soft, but Noctis heard the hurt in it clear as day. “We both know we can’t do this anymore. We had a good what, three years? Really, I am grateful we even _had_ three years.”

“A pleb like me with the Crown Prince of Lucis? I always knew it was too good to be true. We both knew we were living on borrowed time. It’s time for me to make way for someone who really deserves to be with you.”

“Fuck that, you know none of that is true. Please Prom, don’t go,” Noctis took a step closer.

Prompto took a shuddering breath, and Noctis never hated himself more than in that moment for being the one to cause him pain.

“You know I’ll always be by your side, Noct. I just need a few days, and some space, before I can...” Prompto’s voice quivered, then cracked.

He choked back a sob before steeling himself, and continued. 

“...before I can go back to being your best friend again.”

He turned the knob.

Something inside Noctis broke, and he warped across the room, grabbing Prompto by the wrist to pull him back in. Prompto was spun around by the force, his eyes wide in surprise as they finally met Noctis’ gaze for the first time that night.

“Prom, please don’t go. Stay with me. Even if just for one more night. Stay, I can’t lose you, I just can’t...” his words were lost as Prompto’s resolve crumbled, hurtling himself into Noctis’ arms. They held each other by the door of their apartment, slowly sinking to the floor together in a helpless mess.

-

Later that night, as they lay in bed holding on to each other tighter than they ever had, forehead to forehead, Noctis wiped a silent tear from Prompto’s cheek.

“Come with me to Altissia,” Noctis whispered.

Prompto recoiled slightly, and squeezed his eyes shut. “You know you’re asking a lot from me, don’t you?”

“You’ll have to join the Crownsguard, and you’ll need to be combat trained so you can learn to defend yourself in battle. But you can definitely do it, you’re the best sharpshooter I know.”

“In _video games_ , Noct. And that’s not what I meant.”

“...I know. But I can’t do this without you, Prom.”

“And I can’t stand there and watch you marry someone else, Noct.”

“You know this isn’t easy for me either.” sighed Noctis, brushing away the blonde bangs that fell over Prompto’s soft blue eyes. “It’s selfish. And I know I’m being unfair. But I… I still want you in my life.”

Prompto was quiet for a long time. He shifted, nuzzling against the crook of Noctis’ neck. Finally, he nodded.

Noctis held him tighter, burying his face in Prompto’s hair. “Thank you.”

“Where do we go from here, Noct...?”

“I don’t know, Prom,” said Noctis, his voice wavering. “I really don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I'm sorry guyssss I told you there'll be angst T_T  
> 2) I know how this ends, but I don't know where this goes next. I've been trying to figure it out awhile now, but no inspiration yet. Anyone want to talk to me about this, bounce some ideas? Hit me up on tumblr!  
> 3) If not... well, next update might take awhile ._. SORRY 
> 
> As usual, scream with me about Promptis at [@candiedillusions](http://candiedillusions.tumblr.com) :)


	6. A Year Like This, Passes So Strangely...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaaaaaaack! 
> 
> Sorry for the long wait, but this chapter didn't want to cooperate for the longest time, and I've rewritten it 3 times, but thank you for sticking by and reading this! 
> 
> See you at the end!

**[ S I X ]**

 

Outside the wall, everything was different. 

The sun seemed to scorch something fierce, relentless in the way it beat down on their backs,  and the night skies were filled with endless stars that shone so brightly against a vast inky canvas that stretched as far as they could see. Wildlife was everywhere, grazing lazily along the highways, and the towns they came across were filled with the friendliest of folks. 

It was beautiful. 

Noctis closed his eyes, the wind ruffling his hair as the Regalia glided through the open roads of Duscae. If he wished hard enough, he could pretend it was just a regular road trip with his three best friends, with no end in sight, no Princess to marry at the end of the road, no responsibilities to shoulder as heir to the throne. 

Even Prompto’s mood had lifted once the were outside the Crown City. Armed with his trusty camera, he took pictures of  _ everything _ , and his enthusiasm was infectious. Noctis couldn’t help but stare and how animated he was, and how energy seemed to just radiate off him. Prompto lowered his camera after taking what seemed like his hundredth shot of the open fields, and flashed Noctis one of his signature grins from the front seat when he caught his gaze. Noctis managed a small smile. 

Maybe the whole trip would be ok. Sure, the Regalia had broken down at the start, but now that the old girl was up and running and they were finally on their way to Galdin Quay, maybe things will indeed get better. Maybe they’d make it through, and they could still be best friends. It was more than he could hope for. 

Noctis allowed himself a moment of peace, and drifted off to sleep. 

-

Then Insomnia had fallen. 

Prompto couldn't believe it. How could the invulnerable Crown City fall? Yet all the major newspapers reported the same thing. They couldn’t all be wrong. 

The treaty was a sham. The Empire had struck. King Regis was dead. Crown Prince Noctis was dead. Lady Lunafreya was dead. 

Across the room, Noctis crushed the newspaper between his fists and balled it up, hurling it at the wall in anger. Prompto tried his best not to wince at the outburst. 

It couldn’t be true. Noctis was here, and very much alive. So there was still hope that everyone else was too.. right?  

They hurried alongside Noctis, speeding their way back to the Crown City checkpoint. As expected, the way was completely blocked by Imperial soldiers and MTs. Noctis fought like a madman with a death wish, warp striking his way through a field of metallic armour, while Prompto hung back and tried to cover him with gunfire. Gladio and Ignis were both at Noctis’ side, struggling to keep up with his ferocity. Prompto could only hope to the Astrals to keep Noctis safe. 

After what seemed like forever, they found a vantage point. Racing up against the strain of their battle-worn muscles, they climbed up to find their worst fears confirmed - there she was, their kingdom, their  _ home _ , up in smoke. 

Then Cor had called. Prompto couldn’t hear what was said between them, but Noctis’ face twisted with pain at some point in time, and Prompto knew the worst had come true. 

King Regis was dead.

Reaching out for Noctis, Prompto placed his hand on Noctis’ shoulder, hoping to provide what little comfort he could. Wordlessly, Noctis simply placed a hand on his, before sliding out of his reach. He walked on ahead without a glance. 

Prompto understood. There was no room for hesitation, no time for mourning the things they had lost, no going back to the way things were. Not anymore. 

Not now that Noctis was King. 

-

The months following Insomnia’s fall flew by in a strange haze. Noctis found himself bouncing from hunt to hunt, trying to balance gathering his ancestral weapons, forging covenants with the gods, having enough gil to feed themselves, and affording an occasional roof over their heads. 

There was no time for grief. No place for mourning. 

So they carried on, the best they could. The royal retinue fell into a routine where nobody spoke of the phenomenal elephant in the room, and everyone pretended that it was still a carefree road trip. They rode chocobos when they could, and helped folks with errands when they were asked. If Noctis noticed they were filing their days with lighthearted errands and sometimes took an entire day off to let him fish, he didn’t mention it. 

Today, they left the comforts of Lestallum behind to pursue the scent of a rather well-paying hunt. 

“There,” said Ignis, “Secullam Pass is right ahead. That’s where our next mark is.”

Gladio held his hand over his eyes to block out the scorching sun. 

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves three coeurls, at least,” said Gladio after a moment’s pause. 

“What’s the plan?” asked Noctis. 

“I’ll give the orders this time,” said Ignis, his daggers materialising in a flash of blue. 

“Just keep it short,” Noctis groaned, his own engine blade summoned by his side.

“And simple!” yelled Prompto, from some way back. 

Ignis rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. 

“...  _ Attack _ .”

Noctis let a smirk tug on his lips as he warp striked the nearest coeurl. Taken by surprise, the coeurl let out a anguished roar, before rearing on its hind legs into a battle stance, whiskers high up and crackling with lightning energy. Noctis phased away just in time to miss it lunging at him, and the coeurl staggered back as a bullet from Prompto hit its mark. 

“Aw yeah!” cried the blond, turning his sights on the other coeurls to leave Noctis to finish off the one before him. 

Noctis plunged a killing blow into the mouth of the injured coeurl, and the beast let out a cry before it went limp. He dissipated his blade, and turned around to check on his party. 

Across the battlefield, Prompto was having a tough time fighting off a fourth coeurl that sprung out of nowhere, cornering their gunner into a close-ranged death trap. 

“This is one tough foe!” cried Prompto to no one in particular, firing his gun in a blind panic, “If anything happens to me-” 

Reacting on pure instinct, Noctis threw his engine blade and warped in beside him in an instant, impaling the coeurl mid-leap right between the eyes. 

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” said Noctis, dissipating his blade and trading out for daggers, in a protective stance in front of Prompto. 

Prompto turned a bright beet red and stumbled, sending him crashing into Noctis. 

“S-sorry!” he squeaked, as Noctis grabbed him by the hand. For a split second, their hands intertwined as their eyes met, lingering a touch too long. Then Noctis pulled him to his feet and ruffled his hair. 

“Just stay close to me,” said Noctis, “I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

-

The motel room was quiet. 

Gladio and Ignis were fast asleep in the other bed, soft snores rising from them. Prompto looked over in envy. They thought they were discreet, but Prompto never failed to notice that they always held hands when they slept. 

He turned over to face the window, feeling strange that for once, he had so much room on the bed. Noctis had excused himself and said he was going to clear his head a while ago, and hadn’t made his way back yet. 

Prompto twitched. Maybe he should check on him. 

Deciding that his best friend, the freaking Prince, no,  _ King  _ of Lucis really shouldn’t be out alone at night, Prompto pulled on some pants and headed out. Where would Noctis go when he was upset? 

Then it hit him. The rooftop, of course. 

Finding a fire escape stairway that led to the roof, Prompto spied a small, lone figure lit by a neon motel sign. 

“So, whatcha doing, buddy?” asked Prompto, plopping down next to Noctis. 

A smile played on Noctis’ lips. “Nothin’ much. Just chillin’.”

Prompto breathed in the cold night air and grinned. It felt good, just being alone with Noctis again. Before he knew it, their carefree banter turned into reminiscing the good old days, and Noctis called him out on pretending that high school was the first time they met. 

Prompto flushed. 

“You should’ve said something sooner,” Noctis mused, a wistful look on his face. 

Prompto let out a startled choke, and turned into a quiet chuckle. 

“Oh Noct. You just wouldn’t understand. I used to be super shy... Couldn’t really talk to people. No surprises but I had no friends. I was always alone, and there were moments where I felt, well, worthless.”

Noctis didn’t say anything, but he leaned closer to Prompto, never taking his eyes off him and silently urging him to continue.

“I guess every moment I’m desperate to earn my place. To prove that I’m good enough,” Prompto finished. 

He fidgeted with his leather wristband, kicking himself internally. Why did he have to go off on a tangent and talk about all these insecurities? He’d been doing so well, keeping them under wraps and dealing with them by himself. Noctis didn’t need to hear any of these.

“Think what you will,” Noctis said softly, with a fondness in his gaze, “but I think you’re good enough for me.”

Prompto’s eyes flashed towards Noctis in surprise.

Noctis looked flustered and quickly interjected, “You should know better by now. Think I’d make time for any old loser?”

Prompto huffed a laugh, before becoming pensive again. 

“Seriously though, thanks for making time for this loser.”

Noctis’ finger twitched, and he looked as though he wanted to say something. Or  _ do  _ something. Prompto couldn’t help but lose himself in his gaze, those deep blue eyes that held the weight of the world. 

That had always been so inherently Noctis. No matter the weight on his shoulders, no matter the pain he was going through, he had always put others first. Here he was, comforting Prompto, when his entire world had crumbled to pieces around him. 

Prompto wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around him and hold him like he used to, to kiss him till there was no more pain, and promise him that everything would be okay. 

But the crushing realisation slowly dawned on Prompto that it was no longer his place to do so. 

Noctis started to lift his hand, reaching out for Prompto, just as Prompto ducked his head to hide the tears that were brimming. 

“Well, I’m just gonna keep on keepin’ on, the only way I know how,” said Prompto, quickly standing up and dusting off the dirt from the seat of his pants. 

Noctis let his hand fall to his side as Prompto said good night. 

“Yeah,” he said, “You do that.”

-

When Noctis woke up the next day, he was in a soft bed and bundled up in layers of blankets, but something felt different. For the first time since the start of the trip, Noctis woke up actually... content. It was warm, and it smelled nice and familiar, and Noctis kept his eyes closed as snuggled closer into his bundle of bliss. It felt so much like home, being back in his own bed in his apartment, snuggling Prompto on a lazy weekend- 

Noctis’ eyes flew open. He  **_was_ ** snuggling Prompto. His best friend had his back to him, with Noctis’ arm snaked around his waist and face buried in the crook of his neck. He didn't move, and was thankfully still fast asleep. Gods, Noctis  _ missed  _ this. 

He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the sweet scent that was distinctly Prompto. He missed waking up tangled with Prompto, without a care in the world, being able to call his best friend, his. But that was a lifetime ago, a different fate for a different Noctis. 

Feeling his throat tighten and eyes burn, Noctis tightened his grip for a second, before he pressed a soft kiss to Prompto’s bare neck. He whispered a barely audible apology and slowly extracted himself from the tangle of limbs. 

Sliding out of the bed, he didn't notice Prompto shudder from taking a deep breath, a silent tear escaping from eyes that had been wide open for hours.  

-

Altissia was... romantic. 

It really was, in a way that even Prompto could appreciate. The city was freaking floating on water, and gondolas took you everywhere, and the sights took your breath away wherever you looked. The others were clearly feeling it too. Shedding their official crownsguard fatigues to blend in better, they walked around with smiles on their faces and awe in their eyes, thankful to be in a real city again. 

It was just so beautiful and magical that it almost made him forget what they were here for. 

_ Right, _ Prompto thought.  _ Wake a god, help Noctis marry Luna, take back Lucis. No biggie.  _

Wandering aimlessly through the town trying to locate the Leville, the boys stumbled across a crowd, only to see Lady Lunafreya’s wedding dress on display. 

It was beautiful, every inch of it fitting of The Oracle, and the weight of it knocked the wind out of Prompto as he listened to the crowd rave about the royal wedding. 

“One helluva crowd,” said Prompto. 

“And that’s the dress. My word,” Ignis breathed, clearly impressed. 

“Everyone looks so happy. And it’s all because of this one dress,” said Prompto. 

He turned to Noctis and nudged him. 

“Really glad for you that Lady Lunafreya’s safe and sound.”

“Yeah,” said Noctis, never taking his eyes off it. 

“That settles it. You gotta make it happen. Become a symbol of the peace. Once we tie up all the loose ends, let’s think about the ceremony,” insisted Gladio. 

“A fine idea,” said Ignis.

Prompto chanced a glance at Noctis, who took a step closer to the wedding dress in clear admiration. He pictured Noctis and Lady Lunafreya at an altar, beautiful and regal and saying their vows, and wondered if Noctis would wear the same look of wonder when the time came. 

He bit down hard on his lower lip, hard enough for the sharp taste of iron to fill his mouth, willing away the pain in his chest. 

_ Remember Prompto, you’re just his best friend now. You gotta be happy for him.  _

He dropped his gaze the very moment Noctis turned around to face them. Prompto felt the lingering stare that he was determined not to meet. 

“Yeah,” said Noctis finally, “I’ll think about it.” 

Prompto took a deep breath, looked up at Noctis, and put on his best smile for his best friend.

-

Noctis couldn’t sleep. 

The irony wasn’t lost on him. The prince of naps, wide awake in the middle of the night? That certainly was new. 

The Leville Royal Suite was quiet, with only the soft sounds of breathing coming from his companions. Noctis tossed in his bed and turned to face Prompto, who was breathing lightly in his sleep. Noctis bit back an urge to run a finger along those freckled cheeks.  

Tomorrow, they’d awaken the Hydrean. He’d see Luna again for the first time in twelve years. He really didn’t know how to feel about all of this. Of course he was happy to know that Luna was safe, and that she was well. The fact that they were here? He owed so much to her. 

But the whole deal about a wedding, just to give people hope? Noctis felt his stomach clench. Now that a treaty was no longer on the line, now that he didn’t need to do it for peace, he didn’t know if he could go through it just to be a beacon of hope for the people. He knew he was being selfish for even thinking it, but what about what _ he  _ wanted? 

Heaving a sigh, Noctis left the comforts of the bed and made his way to the balcony, looking out to the canals that gently shimmered in the dark. He rested his hands on the railings and looked up at the full moon, lost in his thoughts. 

Nights like these, he felt so incredibly small. He still couldn’t believe it sometimes. Someone like him, born to be king? Chosen by the crystal, and favoured by the Astrals? Were they all out of their Six-damned minds? 

Noctis didn’t want to be king. Hell, he barely wanted to be an adult on most days. The weight of needing to be more, to measure up to his father and all the kings before him, was daunting on a good day. Tonight, it was outright crippling. He clenched his fists, gripping the rail hard to stop himself from shaking.

A light scuffling on the ground told him that someone had joined him on the balcony. 

“Noct...?” 

“Hey,” Noctis answered shakily, without turning around, “Why are you up?”

“Bed was cold without you,” Prompto said, rubbing his eyes blearily. 

Sliding up next to Noctis, Prompto draped a blanket across Noctis’ shoulders. Noctis hadn’t even realised he was shivering. 

“Everything’s gonna change tomorrow, Prom,” Noctis said. 

“I... I know, buddy,” Prompto said softly. 

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. The Empire’s gonna go all out for sure. And they said that they Hydrean’s got a nasty temper. I don’t know if I’d even live past Leviathan.”

“Don’t say that, Noct,” Prompto winced, “It’s gonna be okay. Leviathan will give you her blessings, I know it. We’ll hold off the Empire. You and Lady Lunafreya just focus on the rites, okay?” 

“And then what?” Noctis suddenly spat back to Prompto’s surprise, “What are we supposed to do after that? Wake another god? So what if we wake them all? How am I supposed to take back Lucis? How am I supposed to give people hope?”

Noctis dragged his fingers down his face and groaned, shoulders slumping in defeat. 

“Maybe getting eaten by Leviathan isn’t such a bad idea after all,” he finally said. 

“Nah,” said Prompto, placing his hand on Noctis’ shoulder, “You taste horrible anyway. Not enough fruits and vegetables in your diet.”

Noctis barked out a laugh despite himself. He shoved Prompto hard on the shoulder. 

“Fuck off, asshole. You don’t exactly taste like sunshine and rainbows either.”

Prompto had the audacity to giggle at his own comment, despite flushing a bright crimson. Noctis’ heart twitched at the sight of his best friend, whose blinding smile rivaled the lights of the entire city combined. 

They could all die tomorrow, Noctis mused. Or they could succeed, and Noctis would never be able to be with Prompto like this again.

Noctis leaned over, fingers tracing Prompto’s face, and tilted his chin up to capture his lips in a soft kiss that quickly turned needy and desperate. He wrapped his arms around Prompto’s waist, pulling him in tight and pressing hard against him, pinning him against the railings. Prompto made a small moan at the back of his throat as he tangled his fingers in Noctis’ hair and pressed back just as hard. Noctis was lost in the sensation, drunk on the feeling of Prompto against him, something he’s missed for so long. 

But Prompto pulled away suddenly, and he had tears in his azure eyes, making them shine like sapphires. 

“Noct, we can’t,” Prompto said, his lips quivering. 

“Prom, I...” Noctis started to say. 

Prompto held his finger to Noctis’ lips to stop him. 

“I know you’ve still gotta marry Lady Lunafreya. I know that. You can’t do this to her. And if you still want me by your side, we can’t do this.”

“I can’t be the third party here. There’s no space for me like that. But I can still be by your side as your best friend if you’d let me be.” 

Prompto was shaking by now, his frame vibrating with sobs he was visibly desperate to keep within.  

Noctis was torn. Prompto was right, of course, but how could he give up the one good thing that’s ever happened to him? 

He reached out and pulled Prompto into his arms, tucking his head underneath his chin and soothing the sobs out of him, rubbing small circles onto his back. 

“I’m so, so sorry, Prom,” Noctis whispered, no longer holding back the tears he’d kept locked within for so long. 

“Don’t be,” said Prompto, fingers clenching tight around the fabric on Noctis’ chest, “My fault for falling in love with you, too.”

Noctis bit his lip, the comment stinging more than he’d expected. 

“Let’s get some rest,” suggested Prompto, after he had calmed down. Reluctantly letting go, Noctis led Prompto back into the suite. 

From across the canal, a pair of glowing amber eyes watched the boys retreat from the balcony back into their room. 

“My,  _ my _ . What a show,” he said, placing his hat back on his head of burgundy hair.

Ardyn turned around and whistled a little victory tune, vanishing into the winding streets of Altissia.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS* 
> 
> Big thank you to [Parasox](http://archiveofourown.org/users/parasox/pseuds/parasox) for helping me out and kicking my ass into writing, and [Somnus-divinia](http://archiveofourown.org/users/somnus_divina/pseuds/somnus_divina) too for being excited over my dumb, poorly timed jokes. Y'all are ENABLERS, you hear xD 
> 
> We're almost there! 2 more chapters to go :) 
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [@candiedillusions!](http://candiedillusions.tumblr.com)


	7. Oh Grant that I Can Stay The Night...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that took so long! We're at the final stretch, and it's one more chapter before this is done!

**[ S E V E N ]**

 

Everything had gone to shit. 

It was supposed to be a simple road trip. Make it to Galdin Quay, get on a ferry to Altissia, marry Luna, end the war. 

But Insomnia had fallen. Altissia happened. His father was dead. Luna was dead. Ignis was blind. Gladio wasn’t speaking to him, and Prompto…  

Prompto’s face flashed in Noctis’ mind, his eyes wide with shock as he fell off the train and into the snow.

Noctis felt bile rise to his throat, and quickly found the closest train seat to sink into, placing his head between his knees and drawing deep breaths to regain his composure. Prompto was  _ alive _ . He had to be. He couldn’t be dead. Not when Noctis hadn’t had the chance to make things right. 

How did it come to this? How did everything go so wrong? And how could he have been so  _ stupid _ , to fall for Ardyn’s tricks every step of the way?

He’d taken everything from him. His kingdom, his family, his friends. And now, Prompto. 

They’d soldiered on, even though all Noctis wanted was to stop the train and search the expanse of the entire icy wasteland until they’d found him. 

He’d let it go, trusting his advisors that Prompto was most likely held as bait in Gralea. If Prompto was there, Noctis would do whatever it takes to bring him back, safe and sound. If he was even alive. 

Noctis’ felt his heart grip in fear at the thought that he might never see Prompto again.

_ You said you’d always be by my side.   _

_ Please be okay, Prom.  _

-

Prompto woke up in the cold. He was alone, and by some miracle, dressed in tundras that suited the weather. His head throbbed angrily as he struggled to sit up.

_ What happened? Where the hell am I?  _

As if on cue, his mind flashed the last thing he saw - Noctis’ face, full of hatred and contempt, as he chased him down the train. The flash of steel as Noctis’ blade was pulled on him. 

Nausea swept through him as he turned and heaved into the snow.  

When he was done being sick, Prompto stood up, holding his stomach gingerly. Everywhere he looked, it was just... more snow. No distinct landmarks to speak of, nothing to move towards. 

So Prompto picked a random direction and started walking forward. He couldn’t just lay down and die. Not when he hadn’t had the chance to speak to Noctis and find out what the hell was going on. 

His breath fogged in front of him, and he felt snow build on his brows and lashes, as the  snowstorm raged around him.

Prompto walked until he couldn’t move anymore, then he fell face-first into the snow. The last thing he saw was Imperial soldiers surrounding him, before his body gave up and mind blanked out. 

-

When Prompto made it out of the facility and found his way into the hidden cave where he was supposed to meet Aranea, he was panting hard. 

He’d just shot Verstael in the chest. His biological father. Prompto felt sick to his core. 

No... Verstael wasn’t his father. He was just the source of his DNA. 

He was just a clone. He was  _ made  _ to be a pawn, a mindless and unquestioning machine, made to oppose the Kingdom of Lucis. An MT, who by some twist of fate, escaped a lifetime in steel armour. 

The very thought had his head spinning, his hand gripping harder on the barcode on his wrist. 

There was no way he could go back now. No way the guys would ever accept him. He... he was made to kill  _ them. _

How could he have honestly thought he belonged?

“Noctis...” Prompto whispered, testing the sound of that name on his lips. 

It felt foreign. 

Didn’t it always used to feel like home? 

_ I’m sorry Noct, _ Prompto thought, _ I can’t be by your side any longer.  _

Prompto sat down next to the campfire, trying to stop himself from reeling. He scratched desperately at his barcode, trying to erase it from his skin. 

Yelling in frustration, he yanked off his glove and threw it on the ground. His eyes fell to the burning embers at his feet. He curled his fingers around a branch and lifted it above his wrist. 

Biting his lower lip, he pressed the burning branch firmly onto his skin. The smell of charred skin assaulted him as he cried out in pain. He clenched his jaw at the pain coursing up his arm and pressed down harder. 

Flinging the branch aside, he stared at the burnt flesh. He could still see the odd thick and thin black lines peeking out from the chunks of angry red flesh. He could still see the numbers that were etched onto his skin. He laughed bitterly at the irony. 

“...branded for life,” Prompto half-sobbed.

“Don’t tell me you thought that would work?” said Aranea, hand on her hip as she stared daggers from the cave entrance. 

She took a few quick strides, and quickly broke a potion over Prompto’s wrist. The flesh knitted itself back together in less than a second and was good as new. Casting Prompto a careful once-over, she settled down a comfortable distance away, remaining close to the campfire. 

“I ran into your buddies in Tenebrae. You gonna go see them or what?” said Aranea. 

“...I can’t,” said Prompto, staring intently at his hands, “I’m not like them. I was born here, in Niflheim. All these time and I never told them.”

“And that’s not even the worst part. I wasn’t born into a happy family. I was  _ made _ , created in some laboratory. The entire reason I exist is to make Noct and the others miserable. How could I possibly see them? They’d never accept the real me.”

Prompto suddenly saw Noctis in his mind’s eye - his features twisted in fury as he chased Prompto down the train cabins. Maybe he’d found out after all. Who would want an MT clone by their side? Prompto had betrayed Noctis’ trust. No wonder he was so mad. 

Aranea huffed. 

“You spend all those time driving around together and you still don’t know what kinda guys  _ they _ really are. In case you forgot, your princely pal and I weren’t always on such friendly terms. But you know what? He put all that aside and asked me to make sure you were safe.”

“...he did?” Prompto’s heart was suddenly filled with hope. Noctis didn’t hate him?

“Think he’d do that for someone who ‘makes him miserable?” 

“Did they say anything else about me?”

“Not that I can recall. His Highness was so worried about you he could hardly speak - but don’t worry, I whipped him into shape,” said Aranea, hardly keeping the smirk from her voice. 

“So.. he doesn’t hate me after all,” Prompto sighed in relief. 

Aranea gave him a distinct side-eye and stood, brushing the dirt off her long coat. 

“Look, I can tell you want to get back together with them, so why not let them know?”

Suddenly, fear coursed through Prompto. Could he really return to Noctis’ side, despite everything? Before he knew it, he was babbling. 

“You think they’d let me back? Even if they did let me back.. I’d probably cause they nothing but trouble. I..”

Aranea was having none of that. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she shoved Prompto on his back in one swift move, and looked him dead in the eye, grabbing the sides of his head. 

“What is it you want then? You spend so much time worrying about what is it other people think, you don’t even know what you want anymore.”

“I’m going after the new model tomorrow,” Aranea announced, “You’re on your own now, kid.”

She left the cave, with Prompto still on the ground. 

Prompto’s mouth was dry. He rested the back of his head against the cold, hard ground, staring at the ceiling as the shadows from the campfire’s flames danced across the walls of the cave. 

What did he want? 

He just wanted Noctis to be happy. To be safe. Whether or not he was by his side.

His heart twinged in response to his thought and Prompto bit his lip hard. 

That was a lie. He wasn’t that altruistic. 

Aranea was right. He had to fight for what he wanted. And he knew exactly what it was. 

He wanted to be by Noctis’ side.

-

Noctis huffed, rushing to shut the facility door behind him before any of the daemons that were hot on his heels could get in. 

Falling onto his knees, he tried to catch his breath and clear the panic from his mind. He was separated from Ignis and Gladio. He had no weapons, no means to call upon his armiger, his magic blocked out entirely by an Empire contraption. He was helpless. 

Ardyn clearly planned this out well. 

Swallowing hard, he realised he still had one thing on him that Ardyn hadn’t taken away. 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Ring of the Lucii. His hands shook as he unfurled his fingers, the Ring nestled between the soft leather of his glove. 

He couldn’t bear to look at it. There was too much blood associated with this little piece of metal, too many sacrifices, each reminding him of everything he had lost so far. 

But there was no other way, was there? 

He lifted the ring, bringing it closer to his right hand. Every inch he moved forward, he felt an equal opposing force screaming against it, shoving the ring back and away from his fingers. Noctis clenched his jaw and pushed as hard as he could, trying to wrestle the ring onto his finger. 

Slamming it onto the base of his middle finger, Noctis felt a sear of white-hot pain rip through his entire body, and suddenly he wasn’t in Gralea anymore. 

He was in a dark, endless space, with no one in sight. 

Noctis stood up and spun around, but there was nothing. 

“Hello?” called Noctis, looking for any sign of life. 

A wisp of silvery mist shimmered into existence, and suddenly ethereal bodies flickered into sight. There were thirteen of them, colossal in height and intimidating in presence, all surrounding him, ringing him in as though he was on trial. 

There was no doubt - he was face to face with the Kings of Lucis. They sized him up with their phantom eyes, and spoke to him, one after another, and though their voices were different, their words sounded like they were all from one mouth, and one mind.

_ Chosen King, your time has come.  _

_ The Ring is yours to command. Use its powers wisely, for the powers come with a price upon your life force.  _

_ The blood price that must be paid.  _

_ The Ring will harness the Crystal’s power. It will give you what you need to take back what is yours.  _

“Tell me what I must do,” said Noctis. 

_ Claim your birthright, and go forth to the Crystal to receive the blessings of the Draconian.  _

_ Only the Chosen can destroy the Accursed.  _

_ For only the Chosen King can banish the darkness, and bring back the light.  _

Despite everything, Noctis couldn’t help but feel that he was missing a crucial bit of information, but the figures did not reveal more. He spied a lone figure that had been quiet the whole time the others spoke. Ornate armour shrouded his figure, but there was an air of familiarity that surrounded him. 

Noctis took a step forward, and then another, and before he could help himself, he stood before the figure. He lifted a hand, reaching for it. 

“...Dad?” Noctis started. 

The figure lifted its gaze and gave Noctis a sad smile. 

_ I am so sorry, my son.  _

Then Noctis was yanked back into reality, and he was on his knees in a scrappy base in the middle of Gralea like the past few moments never happened. 

He held his hand over his heart and panted hard. 

Noctis lifted the hand where he wore the Ring of Lucii, and it began to glow a soft blue, pulsing with the promise of its power within. 

Noctis took a step forward and didn’t look back.

-

Prompto awoke in a cell, in a wave of cold panic. 

He was upright, strapped to a strange contraption that held him in an uncomfortable pose that gave him no rest and strained his back. 

Prompto gave his restraints an experimental tug. There was no give, no wiggle room to play with. Not that he actually expected it. 

His tundras were gone. He was dressed in his crownsguard uniform again. How did that happen? 

Prompto shook his head and tried to remember the last thing he saw. The Immortalis. He’d destroyed the base, together with Aranea. He was on his way to the capital, riding the snowmobile he borrowed from Aranea. There was... an explosion? 

He remembered last seeing purple flames that swallowed his snowmobile, and seeing a pair of burning amber eyes before he registered a sharp pain and blacked out. 

A metallic clang behind him announced the arrival of a visitor. He felt cold flesh trace the back of his neck and winced, struggling but failing to turn around. 

A chuckle echoed out from behind him. 

“My dear Prompto,” a familiar, oily voice drawled, “You didn’t think I’d let you get away that easy, did you?”

“Ardyn,” Prompto spat out, as if the word itself was cursed, “What do you want from me?”

“Nothing very much - I just thought it might be good sport to take away your precious prince’s favourite toy,” said Ardyn, a triumphant grin on his face as he came into sight.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Prompto. 

“Oh but you do, my dear boy!” Ardyn cried out in delight, his excitement exaggerated and entirely theatrical. 

“I saw you both in Altissia,” said Ardyn, launching himself at Prompto, burying his face in Prompto’s chest and clinging on to his shoulders. 

“Oh  _ Noct _ ,” Ardyn mocked, swooning against Prompto. “My fault for falling in love with you too.”

He pulled back and laughed, a deep-throated cackle of pure amusement. 

Prompto wanted to gag. But he was at his mercy, so he said nothing. 

“Holding your tongue? The very same tongue you use to pleasure your prince in every lewd way imaginable?” Ardyn offered, dragging a fingertip along Prompto’s jaw and down to his chin, before yanking his face up in a vice grip. 

Prompto refused to look at him, but his burning ears were answer enough. 

Ardyn chuckled, patting the sides of Prompto’s cheek. 

“You’re so delightfully predictable,” he started, “I’m going to have so much fun breaking you in.”

“You’ll never get anything from me,” Prompto spat, “I’ll never betray Noct.”

Ardyn gave him a look of horror. 

“You wound me, my dear boy. You think I’m torturing you for information? No, that’s too simple, nothing like that! I’m doing it because it’s  _ fun  _ to ruin the Prince’s favourite toy. I wonder how His Highness feels about sharing?”

Ardyn placed a sloppy wet kiss on Prompto’s cheek, before dragging his tongue up the side of his face. Prompto fought back a full body shudder. 

_ Don’t think about it Prompto, don’t think about it... _

“Noctis will come for me. He’ll kill you for this,” said Prompto, through his gritted teeth. 

“For  _ Prompto _ , maybe, once upon a time. You really think he’d come for second-rate MT clone?” chuckled Ardyn, “That’s adorable.”

Prompto shut his eyes and tried to block out that thought. Noctis wouldn’t care where he was from. Noctis would come for him. 

A warm breath hovered next to his left ear, and the scent of sickness was close enough to make him choke back a gag. 

“Just keep telling yourself that someone’s coming for you, my dear NH-01987,” sneered Ardyn, “You might actually start to believe it.”

-

Noctis yelled out in frustration, as the ‘Prompto’ he had followed around led him again and again into dead ends and traps. He knew it wasn’t really Prompto - another of Ardyn’s illusions, no doubt. But he was hopelessly lost in this giant facility, so what choice did he have? 

Lifting the ring, he cast a death spell on yet another MT unit, draining the life out of it. Noctis stopped to catch his breath after each kill, feeling his life force draining with every spell he cast. He began to understand the creases in his father’s brow, and whites in his hair that appeared before his time. 

He reached a small area that looked like a storeroom, and - there! Prompto was just  _ there _ , slumped against a chair in the middle of the room. 

_ Hang on buddy _ , Noctis thought to himself,  _ I’ll get you out.  _

He found a way through a passage that led to the back of the store, fighting off a horde of daemons in the meantime.

Slipping his way through the shelves, he kept his eye on the back of Prompto’s head, telling himself that Prompto was deathly still only because he was asleep. 

Shaking himself free from the tight squeeze, Noctis ran to the middle of the room, placed his hand on Prompto’s shoulder, and- 

_ Slump _ . 

It wasn’t Prompto. 

It was just another MT unit. It slid lifelessly onto the ground, circuits giving out an odd sizzling sound before black smoke emitted from it. 

Noctis kicked the steel armour and yelled out in frustration. 

“Oh that wouldn’t do, would it?” Ardyn’s tinny, metallic voice taunted him over the intercom. 

“You were so close, so close to your heart’s desire...” it faded off in a low chuckle. 

Noctis froze as his blood ran cold. Ardyn couldn’t possibly know what Prompto meant to him, could he? If he killed Luna just to get to Noctis, who knew what else he would do to Prompto if he knew what Prompto truly meant to him? 

His heart was starting to hammer, panic rising quickly, before he bit down hard on his lip to quell it. 

_ This is no time to panic, _ Noctis thought. 

_ Prompto needs me. And I’m going to save him. _

-

Prompto blinked an eye open. 

It opened, without much resistance. Prompto was mildly surprised. He was sure he had a broken rib or two, and his eyes had swollen shut before he passed out. 

He must’ve been given a potion sometime between passing out and waking up. 

He heard the the lock jingle at the door to his cell, and lights flickered on his face. Lifting his head, he saw a figure that looked like Noctis, desperately working the door open.

He looked away and closed his eyes. He wasn’t falling for this again. 

-

Noctis ran, as fast as he could. 

He could see a blond figure at the end of this hallway, strapped against a contraption that held him upright. 

It looked like Prompto. 

“C’mon Iggy, Gladio, I think he’s just up ahead!” 

Noctis rushed forward, yanking the door to the cell open. It  _ was  _ Prompto, but he was dazed, and he looked confused. 

“Prompto...” Noctis trailed off, not trusting his voice to hold. 

He yanked hard at the cuffs that held Prompto up, undoing them as quickly as he could, while Gladio worked on the cuffs that held Prompto’s ankles. They popped opened, and Prompto fell face forward, his body too weak to support his weight. Noctis launched himself in his way and caught him as he fell. 

“Prom, I’m so sorry Prom...” Noctis held Prompto tightly in his arms, but the blond was limp and unmoving against him. 

“Tell me, were you worried about me?” Prompto asked, his voice soft and vulnerable. 

“Of course I was,” said Noctis, his hands gripping Prompto tighter, “What kind of question is that?” 

Noctis rubbed circles into Prompto’s back, and threaded his fingers through his hair, tucking his head under his chin, rocking him gently. Gladio backed away to give them space, hand on the small of Ignis’ back. 

“I’m sorry I took so long. I’m here now. You’re safe. This is real.”

Prompto inhaled deeply with a shudder, and closed his eyes as tightly as he could. The cut across his nose began to bleed again from the skin being pulled taut. 

“Noctis...” Prompto started, “You came for me. It really is you.”

“No tricks, Prom. It’s me. Your Noct.”

Prompto lifted a shaky hand, placing it on Noctis’ back. Balling his fists against the fabric of his shirt, Prompto allowed himself to crumble into Noctis’ arms. 

-

Prompto sat alone in a corner of the bunk. 

The boys gave him plenty of space, but had been walking on eggshells around him ever since they reunited. They weren’t sure what happened, and Prompto wasn’t about to offer up any information. So they mothered him and treated him like he was made of glass. 

He took a potion earlier to heal up any lingering injuries. The bruises were a bit too old and would need time to fade, and he’d walked gingerly with a limp the whole time. His ribs were still sore as heck.  

Prompto sat with his elbows resting on his knees, head hung a little low, breathing in slowly to convince himself that this was really happening. 

He was free. 

Footsteps echoed and stopped behind him, lingering for the slightest moment. Then the mattress he was sitting on sank with the weight of someone sitting down. 

“Hey, I’m... sorry,” said Noctis. 

“For what?” Prompto asked. Noctis didn’t have anything to be sorry about. 

Noctis fidgeted, the slightest hesitance in his voice. “For falling right into his trap... and for hurting you like that.”

Prompto felt a lump form at the back of his throat, and he tried his damndest to play it off cool. 

“I know right? How could you do such a horrible thing, after everything we’ve been through!” he went for jest, but it fell flat, sounding lame even to his ears.

“Nah it’s cool. You’re not the only one who fell for it,” Prompto looked intently at his feet, willing his mind to  _ not go there, not now, _ not when he’s finally safe. 

“Once this is all over, I say we break down the borders - come together as one nation. I mean, what does it matter where you’re from anyway?” Noctis crossed his arms, leaning against the bedpost, trying to sound as casual as he could. 

Prompto was surprised. Rising to his feet, he turned around so he could see Noctis’ face. 

“Y’know, I never thought I’d say this, but you sounded like a real king for a second.”

A look of bemusement crossed Noctis’ face, before it quickly gave way to tenderness. 

“Better late than never,” he said. 

A pensive moment passed between them, with neither saying a word. 

“I’m going to make the world a better place. You with me?” Noctis turned and looked Prompto in the eye. 

Prompto felt his heart tug, leaping against his ribcage. Noctis was absolutely breathtaking when he got that twinkle in his eye from pure determination. 

“Uh huh,” Prompto smiled, a genuine one escaping from the depths of his heart, “Ever at your side.”

Noctis smiled back at Prompto’s admission. He crossed the bed and sat down next to Prompto, patting the bed space next to him and gestured for Prompto to sit. 

“C’mere,” said Noctis, placing an arm around his shoulder to pull him in. 

Prompto shrank back from Noctis’ touch on instinct. He tried to pretend it was nothing, leaning in to mask his reaction, but Noctis had caught on. 

Noctis withdrew his hands slightly, never taking his eyes off him. “Prompto... are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, yeah buddy, I’m fine,” stammered Prompto, doing his absolute best to put on a strong front, to not think about what transpired. 

Noctis was silent for a moment. Then he quietly asked, “What did he do to you?” 

Prompto looked away. His lip quivered, tears forming that were on the verge of falling, but he forced a smile. Noctis could never know. 

“I’d rather not talk about it right now, Noct, if that’s okay?”

“Prom.. Babe..” 

Prompto huffed a laugh. 

“You haven't called me that in ages, Noct,” said Prompto, his hands shaking as Noctis took them in his hands.  

“I never should have stopped,” said Noctis. “I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused.”

Prompto just shook his head, silently wishing that Noctis would understand that it was okay. 

Noctis pulled Prompto towards him, till they were both lying down together on the narrow bed frame, with Prompto nestled against his chest. Prompto closed his eyes and willed himself to believe that he was safe. 

“I’m going to make things right, okay? We’re so close now. I’m going to take the crystal back, then I’ll take back Lucis. I can do it if you’re with me, Prom.”

Prompto snuggled into Noctis’ touch. He was right. They had each other now. It took awhile, but they were finally together again. It was going to be okay. 

“You have me, Noct. Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Big thanks to the awesome people at FFXV Writer's Discord, without them sprinting with me I'd never have gotten off my ass to update this. Thanks folks <3  
> 2) I'm sorry I'm terrible to Prompto ._.  
> 3) Also next chapter is about 85% done, so the final chapter should be up soon! :D 
> 
> Come yell with me about these dumb boys on tumblr at [ @candiedillusions!](http://candiedillusions.tumblr.com)


	8. One More Day Inside This Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first - rating has been UPDATED ;) Tags have also been updated, so look out for that!  
> Secondly - chapter count has been updated too :) 
> 
> See you at the end!

**[ E I G H T ]**

 

Noctis was gone. 

At first, Prompto was hopeful. Sure, Noctis needed to gather the crystal’s powers to defeat Ardyn. Prompto expected him to be gone for maybe a couple of weeks, tops, but then the weeks had turned into months. Prompto mulled around, biding his time, waiting for something to happen, but no one seemed to know how long Noctis would be in the crystal. Why hadn’t the prophecy been more specific? 

The days had steadily grown shorter, until one day the sun just didn’t rise and then was no light in the sky anymore. No sunshine, no moonlight. Nothing but darkness.  

Prompto made a promise that he would stay by his side, so Prompto lived the years in a strange daze, holding onto the hope that Noctis would return. He  _ would _ return. And Prompto would be here when he did, to prove he’d kept his promise. 

But it was hard to get out of bed. Getting out meant doing things, and doing things meant being reminded that Prompto was doing them without Noctis. They’d been inseparable for so long that Prompto didn’t remember a time when Noctis wasn’t around. He’d turn around in the middle of making a punny remark, only to find there was no one to laugh or scowl at him. 

Staying in bed was harder. The beds were far too large for just him, having become so dependent on Noctis’ constant warm presence, his arm draped across Prompto’s waist, breath soft on the nape of his neck. Prompto would wake up in the morning, fingers reaching out to pull Noctis close, only to find nothing. Or he’d wake up screaming in the middle of the night, glowing amber eyes burning in his dreams, cruel fingers curled around his neck, choking him, moving  _ inside him _ , scourge-tainted tongue on his skin, only to find himself utterly alone. He’d curl up on himself, missing the soft touch of fingers that threaded through his hair, the warmth of Noctis’ embrace, the whispers of “I’m here, I’ll keep you safe”, as he fell to pieces all by himself.

So Prompto spent less and less time in bed, working himself till he just fell unconscious from sheer exhaustion. Anything was better than lying in bed with his mind working on overdrive. 

Gladio, Ignis and Prompto tried to make Lestallum their home in the beginning, helping rescue refugees, lending the glaives and the hunters a hand at keeping peace and keeping the daemons at bay. Eventually, Gladio started taking more hunts that kept him away for longer, and Ignis became invaluable to Lestallum with his experience governing. 

Prompto knew it was coming, as they all felt Noctis’ absence keenest when they were all together, so on his 23rd birthday, he took a hunt to Hammerhead and ended up staying.

He spent the days hunting, taking out daemons, keeping Hammerhead safe. Not wanting to waste away, Prompto kept busy, reinforcing the outposts, lending Cindy a hand at the garage, and signing up for hunts with Aranea that were far too dangerous for anyone else. He still saw Gladio and Ignis occasionally, but it was now common for them not to speak for months on end. 

On the rare instance that Prompto didn’t manage to work himself to the point of exhaustion, he’d look through the photos they took - some of the silly shots from the road trip, some from when he and Noctis were just teenage boys stupidly in love, and some that were for his eyes only - the precious few genuine smiles that Noctis reserved only for him. Nights like these were long. Sometimes, he’d lay in bed for days, before Cindy inevitably dragged him out because daemons needed to be shot or meat needed to be hunted. 

Sometimes, when he was out on a hunt, or in an outpost or city full of people, he’ll catch a glimpse of black leather and messy, raven hair - his heart would leap to his throat, and his brain would tell him it’s for real this time,  _ Noctis is finally back _ , and Prompto would break into a run, yanking the person back by the shoulder to yell at him for taking his  _ goddamn sweet time _ , but it never was him. His eyes would burn, and he would mumble a quick apology to the poor bewildered soul, before retreating into the first alley he could find that could aptly conceal a thin, blond hunter who just needed to curl up and disappear for a bit.   

The days bled into each other. It was hard to keep track, without the sun, and ten years was an agonisingly long time. Noctis seemed determined to stay in his memory. 

On Prompto’s 27th birthday, he made a decision, placing his camera and his precious photos into a locked box and stowing it under his bed. With shaky hands, he buried the keys a short walk off Hammerhead. 

“No more,” Prompto whispered in the dark, clenching his jaw as he walked on without looking back.

On Prompto’s 30th birthday, he drank a toast with Cindy for surviving 30 years. They laughed, and they even shared a small, lopsided carrot cake with a candle, and Prompto sniggered at how Noctis would have made a face and complained about how it’s an abomination to all cakes, while squeezing in every bad vegetable pun in his arsenal. Prompto thought of what he might say - and suddenly, a deep wave of panic envelopes him because he can’t recall the sound of Noctis’ voice. He couldn’t remember the sound of Noctis’ chuckle, or how exactly the edges of his eyes crinkled when he doubled over with laughter. Prompto paled, muttering an apology to Cindy, stumbling out of the diner, eyes frantic as his heart pounded in fear. 

He ran along the outskirts of Hammerhead, hardly noticing the pools of scourge that formed in his trail, the daemons groaning into life that dogged his every step. In a blind panic, he dug into the earth with his bare hands, retrieving the keys he’d buried. He ran back with goblins swiping at his heels, until he reached the floodlights of Hammerhead and they reluctantly slinked away. He shut himself in his room. 

Maybe Noctis wasn’t going to return after all. Maybe he would, 50 years from now, and Prompto would be dead and buried. 

He dialed Noctis’ phone thirty times that night, just to hear the lazy drawl of “Heya it’s Noct, I’m probably busy, leave a message,” and sitting with photos from a lifetime ago strewn around him, Prompto allowed himself to cry for the first time in years.  

-

Two weeks later, Noctis returns. 

He climbed out of the truck with Talcott, and he was thinner than Prompto remembered, all wild hair and scraggly beard over his face. Prompto couldn’t believe his eyes - there was so much of King Regis in him. He took a shaky step towards him, patting Ignis’ arm, whispering that it might really be him. 

It had to be, right?

“Hey.” 

“Hey? That’s all you’ve got to say, after all this time?” Gladio shoved Noctis in the shoulder as the King chuckled. 

Prompto snorted. Trust Noctis to greet them like no time had passed. “Noct! It’s you... It’s really you!”

“Is it? I hadn’t realised,” Noctis said dryly. 

A little spark of warmth Prompto hadn’t felt it a whole decade crept up and settled in his chest as Noctis laid his eyes on him, gaze heavy with the words he couldn’t say, before a smile tugged at the corner of the King’s lips. 

“The hell is that on your chin?”  

-

Noctis was back. 

They barely had time to register this, before they were all swept into Takka’s diner, and Noctis was talking about taking Insomnia back, destroying Ardyn for good and fulfilling the prophecy. There was something about the banishing the starscourge and bringing back the dawn. Something about being the Chosen King of Light. 

Prompto tried his best, but really, he was still trying to come to terms that Noctis was  _ here _ and _ real _ , and it wasn’t some form of strange, cruel dream that will have him jerking awake and cursing his mind again. 

What got his attention was when Noctis repeated, verbatim, what Bahamut said about a King’s sacrifice. Ignis and Gladio had both gotten quiet and grim, and Prompto couldn’t believe what he had just heard. 

“What do you mean the King has to sacrifice himself for all...? I mean, that’s just Bahamut being an Astral with his fancy figures of speech? You don’t actually have to.. right?”

Noctis, despite the situation, huffed a small laugh. Ignis’ and Gladio’s silence spoke volumes. 

“You mean we’re heading into Insomnia and marching you off to your  _ death _ ?!” 

-

They dusted off their Kingsglaive uniforms, together with Noctis’ Kingly Raiments, and suited up one last time. Noctis tugged at the heavy cape as he fastened them to their ornate clasps, heavy on his shoulders. What was once mere ceremonial robes made for a wedding, now served as his funeral garbs. None of them spoke as they got dressed.

They piled on a truck and headed straight for Insomnia. Noctis was thankful that no one asked him what the rush was. In fact, he was thankful no one had questioned him at all. He wasn’t sure how well his determination would hold up. 

Ten years? How had he been gone for ten years? How much had he missed? How could he have left them alone in the darkness for an entire decade? And how could he just... leave them again? 

Noctis shook his head, trying to shake off those thoughts. He couldn’t afford to falter. 

Kings don’t falter. 

The trip to the Crown City checkpoint was quiet, and over far too soon. Gladio suggested in a quiet voice that they make camp. Ignis was happy to cook, and though resources were scarce, he managed to wield magic with his cooking as he always had. 

They sat around the campfire like they used to do a lifetime ago. 

The silence drew out, heavy and thick and weighing down on them. Cutlery scrapped against plastic plates as Noctis pushed his food around absentmindedly, occasionally taking a bite. He ought to have been famished, since this was his first meal in ten years, but he could barely stomach it. He lifted his eyes, stealing glances at the three that surrounded him, drinking in every detail. 

Gladio grew his hair out. He looked good, honestly. No more stupid mullet that he thought made him look tough. He was quieter, too, a steady presence in place of a hot-headed force. 

Ignis never got his vision back. But he navigated his surroundings like second nature, as if sight wasn’t a necessary sense. Noctis mentally chided himself - this was Ignis he was talking about. If anyone can be an expert wielder of daggers and polearms without sight, it was Ignis. Ten years had passed, after all. 

Prompto... Well. Prompto was quieter. He held himself with a newfound confidence, but he was also a lot more guarded, and his smiles didn’t come as easily as before. He looked like he hadn’t slept a wink in awhile, but he still looked... beautiful. Noctis dropped his gaze, feeling his chest constrict, unable to look at Prompto for too long.

They were finally together again, all four of them, here at journey’s end. 

Noctis balled his fists, his gaze soft, vision obscured by tears. 

“What can I say?” 

“You guys... are the best.”

\- 

Prompto sat at the edge of the haven after everyone had retreated into the tent, legs dangling off the cold rocky surface while absently tracing his fingers along the blue runes that kept them safe. He scoffed at the irony, since they were on their way to their literal deaths. He suddenly felt like he was twenty again, sitting on Noctis’ couch and hearing about the wedding, feeling like his world had come crashing down on him. Except this time it was at least a thousand times worse. He put his head in his hands to quell the sound of blood rushing to his ears. 

Dress shoes scuffed on stone next to him, and he felt warm weight flop down beside him. Noctis sat next to him, the two of them barely touching. 

“So this is it, huh? One last night.” Prompto said, unable to lift his eyes.

“‘fraid so, yeah,” Noctis picked at his nails, fidgeting uncomfortably at the silence between them. “How... How have you been, Prom?”

Prompto was quiet for a moment, rubbing his wrist. How do you summarise ten years into a few sentences? How to even begin? 

“It’s been ten years of utter darkness, y’know? It’s been bleak. But I never stopped believing you’d come back.” 

Noctis seemed to contemplate his comment for a moment, before he shook his head and sighed, as though he thought better of what he was about to say. 

Instead, he gestured to Prompto’s wrists. “You don’t wear your leather bracelets anymore.”

“No reason to. Didn’t want to hide,” said Prompto, shrugging off the comment, “Pretty sure the world had more important things to deal with than to give two hoots about a rogue MT clone.” 

Noctis winced. He slid a hand towards Prompto, placing it on top of his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You know you’re not that at all, don’t you?” 

Prompto flushed, the skin-on-skin contact setting off a deep longing, a need to just bulldoze his way in and hold Noctis the way his heart was screaming at him to do. Instead, he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “It really doesn’t make a difference, buddy.” 

Noctis looked into the distance. They couldn’t see very far beyond the haven and the glow of the dying fire. He tightened his grip on Prompto’s hand. 

“It does to me. I need you to understand. I’m doing this because… Because I’m the only one who can. And I want to give you a better world to live in. I wanted to break down the borders like we said, remember? I should’ve said more, ten years ago, before the crystal took me.”

“You’re not… just an MT clone. You’re Prompto.  _ My _ Prompto. Geez this sounds cheesy and you’ll never let me live it down, but you’re my light. You’ve always been my sunshine, ever since we first met. And I want to bring the dawn back for you. I want you to continue to shine, and to touch the lives of everyone you come across, because that’s you, you know? You make the world a better place.”

Prompto chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. “Ten years in a crystal has turned you into a sap, Noct. You can actually talk about  _ emotions  _ now.” 

Noctis laughed, standing up and dusting his pants, and made a motion to move towards the fire. Prompto followed him. 

“Maybe it has turned me sappy. Or maybe…” Noctis’ eyes locked on Prompto’s, before it’s all too much, and he has to turn away entirely, staring in the distance again. 

“Maybe I’m just running out of time,” Noctis whispered.

Prompto made a strangled sound that he tried to muffle. Something inside Prompto finally breaks, and he sends himself crashing into Noctis’ back, arms tight around his waist, holding on so tight he’s sure it must hurt. He sobbed openly.

“I’ve never asked anything of you before, Noct. You know I never have. But I beg you. I fucking beg you, Noct. Please, don’t go. Please. Just.. stay with me.”

Noctis froze. 

“Prompto...”

“Fuck Ardyn, fuck the Astrals, fuck the prophecy, fuck your duty, fuck them all. I can’t lose you again, Noct.” 

Noctis gently removed the hands that were entwined around him. Turning around, he pulled Prompto into his arms and cradled him. 

“You know I can’t do that, Prom...”

“Why’d you have to be in such a hurry to die? Couldn’t you give me just one more day…?”

“I know I said I made my peace. But I haven’t, not really,” Noctis’s was hesitant, his voice thick with emotion and hands trembling at his admittance. 

“I... I don’t want to die. I want to be with you like I promised, I want to rebuild Insomnia with you, and I want to be an utter lazy ass lounging around and playing video games with you. I want to kiss you, curl up with you every night, and I’d even get up at dawn with you to watch the sunrise you love so much.”

“But I can’t, Prom. I can’t let any more people die for me. I know what I have to do. And if I stayed even for one more day, I... I might lose my nerve. I’d never forgive myself for that.” 

Prompto buried his face in Noctis’ shoulder and cried harder. “It’s not fair, Noct.” 

“No, it’s not. If only I wasn’t Noctis Lucis Caelum, but just  _ Noct _ … I could’ve given you so much more. A whole life with you. No prophecies, no duty, none of that bullshit. Just you and me.” 

Prompto reached up and ran a hand along Noctis’ cheek, the other hand tangled in his hair. “Oh, Noct. You’ve already given me everything. You gave me _ you _ .” 

Prompto pulled him in for a kiss. Their lips parted as they sighed against each other, savouring every breath, every flick of tongue, every touch that was fire, every salty taste of tears, every shudder of sorrow mingled with bliss. 

Prompto needed this. He needed to drink in every drop that was Noctis, to remember the taste of his lips, the curve of his spine, the warmth of the fingertips that gripped his waist so tightly they hurt. With a soft moan, he pulled Noctis down to the ground of the haven next to him, popping the buttons of his dress shirt open.

“Iggy and Gladio are just-” Noctis started. 

“I don’t care,” said Prompto, “I need you right here, right now, under the stars. Please. Just... hold me. Just be with me like this. I want to feel you. If this all the time we have left...” 

Prompto’s voice cracked as he ducked his head and buried his face in Noctis’ chest. 

“If this is all, let me remember you this way.” 

Noctis eyes shone with unshed tears, and all hesitance disappeared as he lifted Prompto’s chin and caught his lips, nipping at his lower lip and begging for entrance. Prompto parted his lips pilantly and darted his tongue to meet Noctis’, dancing against his.

Prompto tugged the suit off Noctis, exposing his perfect shoulders, muscles tight against his thin frame, as Noctis worked the buttons off Prompto’s Kingsglaive jacket. 

“You look so good in that uniform, Prom...” whispered Noctis, nibbling against Prompto’s ear, moving down to place open-mouthed kisses along Prompto’s neck as his stubble scratched against him and set his veins on fire, Noctis’ tongue tracing small circles against his heated skin. 

Prompto bucked against Noctis and dug his nails into his back, throwing his head back to allow Noctis access, moaning against his tongue as Noctis drew the pale flesh between his lips to leave his mark on Prompto, fingers digging into the sides of Prompto’s hips.  

Prompto didn’t mind. He moaned louder, pulling Noctis closer to urge him on. He wanted the world to know he was Noctis’. He was painfully hard by now, his cock straining hard against the fabric of his pants. Noctis made him harder by rubbing his own erection against his inner thigh. 

Noctis made quick work of helping Prompto lose the rest of his uniform, with Prompto lying naked underneath him, skin pale in the moonlight. 

“You’re so fucking gorgeous, Prom,” said Noctis’ reverently, his voice caught in his throat. 

Prompto leaned into his touch, feeling his fingers moving down Prompto’s freckled cheeks. He caught Noctis’ hand with his own, and darted a tongue out to give it a teasing lick. Puckering his lips, he took Noctis’ finger into his mouth and swirled his tongue over the tip, teasing with the promise of more. Noctis’ cock strained and twitched against his thigh. 

Quickly unbuckling Noctis’ pants, he helped Noctis out of them and eagerly palmed his lover’s cock, giving it slow but firm strokes that leaked precum over his fingers. Noctis gasped and kissed Prompto hard, pumping harder against his fingers. 

Smiling against Noctis’ lips, Prompto withdrew his hands and Noctis outright whined at the sudden lack of contact. 

“Be patient, my King,” said Prompto, as he pushed Noctis down on his back, straddling him to pepper kisses down Noctis’ chest, trailing down his stomach, leaving marks as he went along. Reaching the base of his cock, he placed a soft kiss that left Noctis twitching for more. 

Watching him through hooded eyes, Noctis lifted himself up on his elbows to admire Prompto. 

“I wanna watch you, Prom,” he said breathily, voice hoarse from lust. 

Prompto hummed a response, running his tongue along the tip of his leaking cock, teasing moans out of his king, before taking his length in entirely from tip to base in one swift move. 

“F-fu-fuck, Prom, ngh..” Noctis let out a guttural groan, and his hips bucked, his knees instantly going weak.

Bobbing his head to Noctis’ thrusts, Prompto hollowed out his cheeks and relaxed his throat, taking in Noctis’ considerable length with ease. Ten years had passed, but he still navigated Noctis’ body like the years never happened. He reached between them to stroke himself as Noctis thrusted against his lips.

“Prom.. stop.. I’m not gonna last,” cried Noctis as he pulled away with much difficulty. 

“Getting old, Noct?” Prompto smirked as he released Noctis’ cock with a lewd pop. 

Noctis blushed, his cheeks a beautiful dusty pink against the light of the fire. 

“Shut up,” said Noctis, as he yanked Prompto down and rolled himself on top of the blond. He parted Prompto’s thighs and licked his fingers, putting on a show for his lover, before reaching between them. Prompto tensed as Noctis pushed past the tight ring of muscle, gently working a finger in. A hand reached up Prompto’s chest, and Noctis rolled a nipple between his fingers as Prompto felt himself harden. 

“Noct... Fuck... More...” Prompto groaned against him, writhing underneath his touch. 

Noctis chuckled and pulled his finger out, eliciting a gasp from Prompto. With a flash of blue, he reached into his armiger to materialise a tube. 

“Who’s impatient now, hmm?” Noctis announced as he coated his fingers in lube. Leaning down against Prompto, Noctis’ weight sent a thrill down his spine. Prompto surged forward, capturing Noctis’ lips. 

“Need you, Noct,” Prompto muttered against Noctis. 

His words reverberated through Noctis’ nerves and set his veins on fire, so Noctis didn’t wait this time, delving into Prompto with two fingers, crooking his fingers while he sank them in knuckle-deep. Prompto gasped and bucked under the sudden wave of burning pleasure. Noctis pulled his fingers out to the tip, before burying them back in again, hitting their mark repeatedly. Prompto threw his head back, about to scream, but Noctis caught his lips before any sound escaped them. 

Prompto slammed his hips back with equal force, fucking himself eagerly on Noctis’ fingers, and Noctis added a third finger into the mix, matching Prompto’s rhythm with ease. Noctis curled his fingers around Prompto’s cock to stroke him in time. 

“N-Noct,” gasped Prompto. “I need you in me now.”

Noctis slowed his pace and pulled his fingers out, kissing Prompto slowly, leaving his lips to nuzzle into the crook of his neck. Prompto whined at the sudden emptiness, but Noctis nipped at his neck and lined himself up against him. The slick warmth was too much of a tease for Prompto, and he hooked his legs around Noctis’ hips to urge him on. Noctis eased himself into Prompto, agonisingly slow, inch by inch, as if savouring every detail - Prompto tensed and shuddered, his face twisted in pleasure, gasping hard as the burning desire ripped through him, shaking against Noctis’ weight. He felt himself give, muscles relaxing for the one to whom he belonged, the feeling of fitting together so right, as though they were made for each other, Noctis and him, and in that moment, nothing else mattered. 

Noctis buried himself balls-deep into Prompto, trailing soft kisses up his neck to reach his lips, before pulling back and gazing into his eyes. Prompto’s heart stuttered at the sight of Noctis looking down at him with all the love he had, unguarded and unadulterated, holding nothing back. 

Then Noctis started to move. Slowly at first, pulling out halfway before thrusting in hard, keeping a slow but intense pace, locking eyes. Then they found each other’s lips, and Noctis angled it  _ just right _ to hit Prompto at the right spot, and Prompto’s brain whited out as he abandoned all restraint and thrust back with all he had. 

Noctis grabbed Prompto’s ankle from his waist and hoisted it up to brace against his shoulder, allowing him deeper access. Prompto bit into the back of his hand to muffle his screams and arched his back to let Noctis go deeper. His swollen cock bounced between them, and Noctis curled his fingers around him again to bring him closer to the edge. And Prompto was so, so close now. 

“Come for me, Prompto,” said Noctis, his voice taking on a commanding tone that Prompto adored. 

Prompto felt the coils of desire tighten within him, and suddenly he was coming hard, pleasure ripping through him as Noctis fucked him through his orgasm, milking every drop of cum out of him while his hands still worked his cock. 

“Prom, I’m gonna-” cried Noctis in a strangled voice, his thrusts becoming more erratic. 

His hips stuttered, and Prompto felt Noctis come undone, throbbing inside him as he came hard inside Prompto. Noctis fumbled, trying not to collapse entirely on Prompto, as he pulled out and rolled on his back. They both laid there panting for awhile, before Prompto laughed and reached into the armiger for a rag, wiping both himself and Noctis off. 

“You’re still a lazy princess, Noct,” smirked Prompto, “I can’t believe you’re still making me clean you up after.”

Noctis smiled, a lazy, content one, pulling Prompto in for a kiss. “You do it because you love me,” he said. 

“Damn straight,” said Prompto, falling into Noctis’ arms, “You can bet your royal ass I do.”

Prompto placed his head on Noctis’ chest, allowing himself to be pulled into his tight embrace. He idly drew small circles on Noctis, exactly the way he used to when they spent lazy afternoons in his apartment. 

His euphoria was coursing through his veins, the ache in his belly still intense, his legs still quaking slightly. Noctis was panting too, trying to come down from his own high. 

“Your stamina is shit, Noct, you’re definitely getting old,” smirked Prompto, mocking his lover while nuzzling into him. 

Prompto could hear Noctis’ heartbeat suddenly quicken. He fidgeted a little under Prompto.

“Well,” Noctis said slowly, “It’s not like I have been active. Not much action in Crystal-land, you know,” he said, pointedly avoiding Prompto’s eyes. “Pretty sure you’ve had more practice than me.”

Prompto’s fingers suddenly froze in place.  

Beyond his control, his breath started getting quicker and shallower, and the world around him shifted as he felt himself losing grip on reality. 

_ No, not now, _ thought Prompto, vaguely registering that he was pulling away.

Noctis instantly knew he’d said something wrong. He pulled Prompto back into his arms and kissed his forehead, his nose, his lips, before cupping his cheeks to look him in the eye. 

“I’m sorry, that was a stupid thing to say, I’m an idiot... It doesn’t matter, okay? I don’t care. I’m sorry, Prom. Please forget I ever said something that dumb?”

Prompto shivered a little, fighting the bile that was rising in his throat. He wasn’t going to fall to pieces. Not tonight, not now, not that this was all he had left. But looking into those soft, reassuring blue eyes, he knew he had to say something. Noctis deserved to know. 

“There’s been no one else but you,” Prompto whispered, before dropping his gaze, “not... willingly, anyway.”

Noctis’ voice caught in his throat, the implications clear in his mind, and he balled his fists and started to shake in anger.

“Fuck, I should’ve... Gods, Prom, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault it happened. I...”

“It’s not your fault, Noct,” Prompto said, scooting closer to Noctis, holding on tightly to ground himself. 

“Yes, it was,”  said Noctis, his voice wavering. “He wanted to hurt me, and he used you to get to me.” 

Prompto just nuzzled into Noctis’ chest and shook his head. 

“What did he do to you, Prom?” Noctis whispered, kissing his hair gently. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But if you want to talk...”  

Prompto was quiet. His shut his eyes, as his mind flashed to the sound of cruel chuckling, the scent of sickness, the cold and clammy hands on his skin. He remembered the blood, the blunt force, the times he wanted to just  _ die _ , and how a well-timed potion always brought him back from the brink just in time. 

His entire body started shaking. Admitting it out loud for the first time in ten years took a lot. Steadying himself with a deep breath, he shrugged.

“It was ten years ago, Noct. I’ve never told anyone. I just... try not to think about it.”

“I’m going to kill him.” said Noctis, hate dripping from his voice. 

Prompto laughed. “That’s kind of the entire reason why we’re heading to Insomnia now, buddy.”

“You know what I mean,” grumbled Noctis, pulling Prompto in tighter to tuck his head under Noctis’ chin, threading his fingers through Prompto’s hair. 

Prompto relished the warmth, closing his eyes. They lay like that for awhile, content to just be in each others’ arms. 

“I’m not going to be here when the Dawn comes, Prom,” Noctis suddenly said, his voice cracking.

“Maybe there will be a miracle,” said Prompto, wiping a tear from Noctis’ cheek.

Noctis smiled sadly, though he didn’t contradict him. “I need to know you’ll be okay, Prom.”

Prompto’s eyes filled with tears again, a pain tearing through his chest, threatening to rip apart what little composure he had left. 

“How can you expect me to be?” he said softly. 

Noctis couldn’t find the words to say, and so his lips found Prompto’s. When their lips finally parted, they rested their foreheads together. 

Prompto clung tight, repeating a silent prayer in his head, hoping against hope that the Astrals would take pity and grant them mercy. 

-

Insomnia was… different. 

It was in ruins, but behind the rubble, much of the city they had grown up and spent their lives in still remained, a ghost of its past glory. 

Eventually, they found themselves on the steps of the citadel. Prompto took a step forward as Noctis walked up the steps. Every part of him was screaming against this. Instead, he looked at the ground because he couldn’t watch Noctis leave. 

“No turning back now,” whispered Prompto. 

But Noctis stopped, and turned around. 

“Prompto… Gladio… Ignis…” 

Prompto raised his gaze to meet his King’s. 

“I leave it to you.” 

Noctis paused, the next words on his mind heavy. 

“Walk tall, my friends.” 

“Godspeed... and take care. Majesty,” said Ignis, as he placed a hand over his chest and bowed, a last salute to his King. 

Prompto complied, as a good Kingsglaive would. 

When he looked up, Noctis had his hand across his chest too, his face a mask of determination. 

“The time has come.” 

He turned his back and held his head high, his last march into the citadel.

Behind them, the telltale sign of daemons creaking to life rang out. Prompto materialised his gun one last time, ready to follow Noctis into the dark. 

-

Prompto felt the dirt on the ground keenly. Everything hurt, like he had just fallen over, but he couldn’t remember why he was on the ground. Or why he was still lying face-first in the dirt. 

Groaning, he cracked an eye open, only to squint and find… sunlight? He lifted his head to take a look around, and caught sight of a small maintenance shed next to a familiar grey building, marked off-limits by a black-and-yellow pole across a couple of bright orange cones. 

_ What the hell?!  _

Prompto was in his old middle school. He was twelve years old, chubby and clumsy. And he had tripped over the bloody barrier again. 

Footsteps echoed behind him, and a slender hand extended in front of him to help him up. He looked up to find himself face-to-face with a smiling twelve-year-old Noctis. 

Grabbing his arm, Noctis hauled him up with much effort. He chuckled and dusted dirt off the front of Prompto’s shirt. “Still heavy, dude.” 

“Rude,” Prompto playfully shoved Noctis on the shoulder, eliciting a laugh from the young Prince. Noctis shoved him back. 

Prompto felt his heart swell, before a creeping feeling started to worm its way into his gut to tell him that this wasn’t right. Twelve-year-old Noctis and Prompto weren’t a thing. They didn’t hang out, and shouldn’t be this familiar with each other. 

“Uh Noct…” Prompto chewed on his lip. “This isn’t real, is it? Why are we here, buddy?” 

Noctis’ playful grin faded, and he looked at Prompto with such sad eyes that Prompto immediately regretted saying anything. 

“I didn’t... want that to be the way things ended. I wanted to see you again,” said Noctis. 

Then it hit Prompto. He shook his head, and suddenly he was thirty again. Noctis, as if on cue, aged in a blink to his regal self, the way he was when Prompto last saw him at the steps of the citadel. 

“We’re… both dead, aren’t we?” Prompto asked softly. It had to be. The last thing he remembered was being overrun by daemons, with Gladio and Ignis halfway across the battlefield. 

“You’re not,” said Noctis, taking his hand and threading their fingers together. “but you’re close.” 

Prompto lifted their joined hands and pressed his lips against Noctis’ knuckle, nuzzling into it. “That’s okay. It’s probably a matter of time anyway. Life’s not worth living if you’re not living it with me, Noct.”

Noctis smiled enigmatically. He reached into his armiger, and in a flash, pulled out two rings. One was unfinished silver speckled with black, adorned with little diamonds as stars and a crescent moon, while the other was polished silver with the golden tendrils of the sun, holding a black gem at its core. They fit together perfectly. He held them out to Prompto. 

“Noct…” Prompto was overwhelmed with emotion. “Are you... Are you freaking proposing to me?  _ Now _ of all fucking times, when you’re dead and I’m actively dying?!” 

Noctis laughed, and nodded, “No better time than now. Will you marry me, Prom?”

“You’re the literal worst, Noct. Yes, you idiot, yes I’d marry you,” Prompto was laughing, but he also couldn’t stop his happy tears from falling. 

Noctis took Prompto’s hand in his and slipped on the ring with the moon and stars, a reminder that Noctis would always be his light in the darkest of days. Then he held out the other ring to Prompto. The gem glimmered in the light, encased perfectly by sun rays. Prompto took it shakily, hardly daring to believe this was really happening. Feeling Noctis’ eyes on him, he slowly slipped it on Noctis’ finger, smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. Noctis returned the grin and held his hand up, showing off how perfect it fit him. Prompto couldn’t help but laugh as he mirrored his actions, half tears and half giggles, giddy with joy that after all they’ve been through, they’re here together now. 

Prompto threw his arms around Noctis and kissed him hard, holding him close as they rocked each other gently, swaying to a music that only existed in their hearts. 

“You know, I had these made like two years after we started dating,” Noctis admitted shyly, “I didn’t have the guts to ask you then, because I totally didn’t want to freak you out, so I’ve always just sorta… kept them with me. Especially after everything went to shit.” 

Prompto smirked and hugged him tighter. “Dork. I would’ve said yes, you know.”

Noctis smiled against Prompto’s neck, nuzzling closer. “ _ Your  _ dork. I love you, Prom.”

_ Wake up, Prompto!  _

Prompto looked up, confused at the familiar gruff voice he’d heard. 

“Did you hear that, Noct?” asked Prompto, twisting his head around to see if there was anyone else. 

Noctis’ smile disappeared, and he pressed a desperate kiss to Prompto. 

This time, a different voice rang out, deep and powerful.

_ It is time, Chosen King.  _

“Noct? What’s happening?” asked Prompto, looking for answers within Noctis’ deep blue eyes that were on the edge of tears.  

“The Astrals granted me one small mercy. I would’ve loved to spend a lifetime with you…” said Noctis, brushing a blonde lock out of Prompto’s eyes and resting a palm on his cheek, “But just this moment would have to be enough.” 

Prompto’s eyes widened in panic. “No way Noct, you can’t mean that, you can’t send me back, please let me stay with you, don’t go, don’t make me leave, take me with you!”  

Noctis shook his head. “Your time isn’t up yet, Prom. You’ve got so much left to do, so much to live for. So much left to give. You’ve gotta live on for the both of us. Do this for me, Prom. For the both of us.”

Prompto was inconsolable, shaking his head stubbornly, refusing to let go of Noctis. 

Noctis smiled at Prompto and took both his hands in his own. “I'll find you again Prom, I promise. And this time, I won't let you face life alone. I won't make you feel like you had to work so hard to be worthy of me. Gods, we wasted so much time just dancing around each other, didn’t we? I'll be better, I'll make the first move, I won’t let you be lonely again...”

“Noct, please god no...” pleaded Prompto, “Not now. Not when I finally can be with you.” 

His eyes darted desperately at how everything around them seemed to be crumbling into a vast blue nothingness. There was only the both of them now, floating in space, and holding on to each other. 

_ Prompto! _

“I will always be with you,” said Noctis, a finger brushing against the freckles of Prompto’s cheek.

As if on cue, tendrils of fire started to creep up Noctis’ arm from the Ring of Lucii, and it snaked up his chest and onto his face, turning his eyes a deep red. He started to dissipate, parts of his body burning off into pieces. 

With a final kiss pressed to Prompto’s forehead, Noctis was gone, and Prompto was lying on the pavement outside the citadel, with Gladio and Ignis hovering over him. 

“Hey kid, wake up, are you alright?” asked Gladio. 

Prompto blinked away his tears and choked on his sobs, before sitting up gingerly. He was reeling - whether from the dream he had, or the bad beating he’d taken, Prompto couldn’t tell. Even breathing hurt. Gladio pressed a potion and cracked it over Prompto, but it had no effect. 

The daemons were all gone - they had dissolved into pools of starscourge, leaving no trace of what they had been. Instinctively, Prompto propped himself up and looked to the east, and Gladio followed his gaze. Together, they saw the sky glow orange, and witnessed the beginnings of the first dawn in ten years. 

“It is done then...?” asked Ignis. 

“Yeah,” said Gladio, “Noct really did it.”

They stood together and watched the sun rise, unable to turn away. 

Slowly, the air around them started to be filled with warmth. 

Prompto lifted his hand to shield his eyes against the glare of the sun, only to stop short when a silver glint caught his eye. His breath hitched. He held his hand up and saw the wedding band that Noctis gave him sitting on his ring finger. 

Dumbstruck, Prompto stared at his hand for a moment. Then, he turned around and sprinted up the stairs of the citadel, running as quickly as he could, limping and ignoring the stabbing pains in his rib, riding the elevator up to the highest floor, and burst into the throne room. 

There Noctis was, slumped over his throne, his father’s sword impaled in his chest. 

Prompto crept up the stairs, each step heavier than the last, before he finally reached the throne. Glancing down, he saw the wedding band on Noctis’ ring finger, and a photo held face down under his palm. With shaky fingers, Prompto slid the photo from Noctis’ cold hand and gasped. 

It was them.

Holding it close to his heart, Prompto fell to his knees and wept for his King, and most of all, his  _ Noct. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY FREAKING GOD HOW CRAZY WAS THIS. 
> 
> Firstly, this isn't the end. Well it's kinda the end, but there will be an epilogue. I couldn't let my boys end like this. I just couldn't. 
> 
> Secondly, I am terrible at smut. Thank you for reaching the end and not like... closing the tab right away. 
> 
> Thirdly, thank you [ @somnus-divina](http://archiveofourown.org/users/somnus_divina/pseuds/somnus_divina) for being such an encouragement, for proofreading smut, and for being an awesome person in general. I wouldn't have been able to do this without your support, and your enabling xD. And thank you [@bluebottle762](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bluebottle762/pseuds/bluebottle762/works) for the fic pact too! Looking forward to your works ;) 
> 
> Fourthly, I sweaaaar the next update won't be in two weeks okay I'm sorry I write like a snail ._. 
> 
> Fifthly(?), LET ME KNOW what you thought, this fic has become my baby, I'm actually quite sad it's (almost) over.
> 
> FINALLY, come scream with me on tumblr at [@candiedillusions](http://candiedillusions.tumblr.com)!


	9. I Will Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok firstly I'm SO SORRY that I said this will take two weeks, and somehow it ended up taking two months ._.
> 
> If you're still reading, thank you for making it thus far <3

**[ E P I L O G U E ]**

 

The city was dark. 

Noct trudged along a quiet path in New Insomnia, towards one of the few hilltops that remained in the city, his backpack of supplies in tow. 

It was still too early, and the city that never slept was caught in a magical hour where the people who stayed up all night were just getting to bed, and those who were in bed were just waking up. It resulted in a sort of sleepy silence, a comfortable warmth that Noct loved. 

The sky was slowly paling, so Noct quickened his steps, straining his legs to break into a quick jog uphill. _ Better pick up the pace before the sun comes up _ , Noct thought. 

Huffing slightly, he reached the top with no effort at all, pleased to find that he’d made it just in time - doubly pleased to find the hilltop deserted as usual. Breathing in the cool night air, he relished the moment of peace that belonged to just him, looking out across the city. The Citadel stood tall over the rest of the city, a relic from a different time. His gaze lingered a touch, and a unexplained fondness crept into Noct’s heart. 

He set his bag down in his favourite spot at the base of an old tree, one that was rumoured to have been there since the Chosen King’s time. 

Noct, like every child born after the long night, was familiar with the stories. It seemed apt that he loved chasing sunrises, considering he was the namesake of Noctis Lucis Caelum, King of Light and Bringer of Dawn. 

His parents used to laugh while telling him stories about his childhood, that despite his love for sleep even as a baby, he never failed to wake at dawn. It was always fun to hear them recount the memories of dealing with young Noct, waking up to smile and giggle at the morning light, before promptly falling asleep moments after. 

Noct smiled and shook the memories from his mind. Sitting down on the damp, dewy ground, he pulled out a sketchbook from his backpack and started outlining the city in the twilight. He had drawn it enough times that he could’ve sketched it by heart, but every time he was here he’d see a different detail, a new shade, a fresh perspective of the city. Sometimes he drew the cityscape in its fully glory, and sometimes he’d hone in on a rooftop, on how the first rays of sun hit the steel and glass of the skyscrapers around, bleeding colours down the panes. 

Today, he just wanted to focus on the colours of the dawn. 

Noct worked in silence, with nothing but the soft sounds of crickets singing, the scratching of charcoal and pencil on paper, slowly joined by the first few signs of birds chirping as they woke to greet the dawn. 

A light peeked over the horizon. Inky black was giving way to blue, a deep sapphire that Noct has been told was the colour of his eyes. It stretched on, a little lazily at first, before a lighter azure emerged, heralding the arrival of Noct’s favourite part - the first rays of the sun. 

He held his breath, stilling his hands, transfixed on the scene. 

A bright, burning light pushed its way out from beneath the horizon, colouring the sky with shades of gold and glowing orange. He could see the clouds now, illuminated by the rays, little puffs dotting the sky like freckles on a face. 

_ Freckles?  _ Noct thought, a revelation on the tip of his tongue, dancing at the edge of conscious thought. Then he shook his head.  _ What a strange thought. _

He turned his gaze back to the sky, which had lightened at some points to a soft pink. The horizon seemed set on fire, so intense that he had to look away, to the edges of copper fading into blue. 

The brightest, most brilliant blue tinged in violet. 

_ Just like the colour of-  _

Noct suddenly reeled, overwhelmed with a wave of emotion, something bone-deep that had him gasping for breath, a deep longing for  _ something _ in his life. His hand grasped at his chest, surprised by the unexpected pain that struck him. Then it was gone, as though it had never been there. 

Shakily, Noct leaned back into the trunk of the tree, ignoring the root that dug into his back, panting like he had just run a mile. There were days when Noct felt like the entire universe was clued into some grand scheme, and he alone was missing a crucial chunk. His dreams were often cryptic, and his waking moments interspersed with deja vu. He was always chasing something just out of reach, mislaid by smoke and mirrors, turning into stardust just beyond his fingertips. 

_ No use trying to get any sketches done now,  _ thought Noct. 

Reluctantly, he packed his supplies and patted the seat of his pants to get rid of the dirt. He turned his back and made his way down the hill. 

Maybe he’d get a better glimpse of the sunrise tomorrow. 

\- 

Prom adjusted the camera bag on his shoulders and began his climb. 

It was a cool night, and he hummed wordlessly to a tune in his head while his steps bounced to the beat. Making his way up to one of his favourite spots in the city in the wee hours of the night was what he looked forward to on most days. It was a popular spot for couples at sunset since it was one of the few hilltops that remained in the city, but at 2am when the moon was brightest, hanging over the sleeping metropolis? No one at all. 

Prom took a deep breath mid-way through his climb, stopping for a while to admire the lights of the city scape. 

He loved everything about the night. As a child, Prom basked in it, always looking towards the night sky to find his comfort. 

He’d trace constellations across the skies with his index finger, each little star a familiar old friend. He couldn’t really see that many stars in New Insomnia, but whatever that the towering skyscrapers and city lights didn’t drown out, Prom knew by heart. He often had dreams of vast, starry skies as far as the eye can see, in wide open fields that rolled on for miles. 

As he got older, Prom wondered if he’d lived another life, in somewhere that looked like New Insomnia but was... different enough in subtle areas. He’d wondered if the scenes he’d seen in his dreams had happened before; snatches of moments frozen in time with a dark-haired boy whose face was always just out of sight, or so hyper focused that he couldn’t place the whole.

Laugh lines tugging soft lips into a smile, subtly peeking out from behind raven locks. Hints of dark, almost midnight blue eyes that twinkled behind a mess of bangs. The ghost of a breath, lingering next to his ear, making his breath hitch. How could so much detail be just figments of his dreams?

Prom’s heart thumped faster, and a familiar pang of longing crept into his being. How often had he yearned to see that face, always just a hair out of his reach? 

Fiddling with his tripod, Prom set his camera down and made minor adjustments to get his angle just right. He had come here tonight hoping to catch a timelapse of the waning of the moon. Prom sighed, admiring the glow of moonlight that shone so brightly tonight, soft against his skin. The lighting was perfect. Maybe if he got it right this time, he could add it into his portfolio and a publication would pick it up. 

Peering through the viewfinder, he toyed with the idea of experimenting with a different lens. He rummaged through his backpack for a wide-angle lens, before propping it up against the old tree. 

The moon hung low, just over the Citadel now. A forbidden charm of an age long past clung to its facade, looming tall over New Insomnia. He was so high up he could see the steps of the Citadel. 

_ The very steps where he- _

A wave of pain swept through Prom; a bolt out of the blue that had him struggling to find his breath, fingers gripping tight at the fabric of his shirt, his heart pounding hard at -  _ something _ \- that stayed at the edge of his memory. He stared unblinking at the scene, but nothing helped connect the last dots. 

Prom fumbled towards the tree, each step unsteady and wary. Settling down against the trunk, his tightened fist clenching hard against his chest, Prom tried to take a few deep breaths to calm his pounding heart. Resting his head against the trunk, he exhaled slowly. Maybe he’d just rest for a little while. It had been a long day, after all. 

Prom shut his eyes. 

-

**_Nyah!_ **

_ Noct opened his eyes and saw a vast expanse of blue. What was that he just heard? _

**_NYAH!_ **

_ Noct looked down to the source of the noise, rubbed his eyes and stared incredulously at the small form in front of him. A tiny, fox-like creature with a ruby horn on its forehead and ears too large for its face was looking curiously at him. It glanced down to Noct’s pocket, and his phone vibrated in response. Then it looked back at Noct expectantly.  _

_ Noct pulled out his phone hesitantly.  _

_ “Hi Noct! I’m Carbuncle!” _

_ Noct gaped at Carbuncle.  _

_ “How did you know my name? And what.. What are you?” _

_ His phone vibrated again.  _

_ “I’m the guardian of your dreams, Noct! I’ve been keeping you safe for a long, long time. But I’ve held your deepest dreams at bay for long enough, Noct.” _

_ “What do you mean?” _

_ Carbuncle swished his bushy tail and stood, turning around to break into a quick trot, making its way to a tunnel of light that was far enough to look the size of a pinprick. Noct didn’t hesitate to give chase. _

_ “Carbuncle, wait!” _

_ The little creature started galloping at full speed, and Noct sprinted to keep up. When they finally reached the source of the light, Carbuncle stopped and sat in front of it, swishing his tail. Noct’s phone beeped again.  _

_ “Don’t you want to find out?” _

_ “Find out what?” Noct asked, and he swore he saw Carbuncle’s tiny mouth form a smirk. _

_ “The blond boy you’ve been dreaming about, of course. Don’t you want to find out who he is?” _

_ Noct felt his face grow warm.  _

_ “I’ll tell you, if you want. But it’s not going to be pretty. And there’s no going back from there.” _

_ Noct nodded, his curiosity getting the better of him. “I wanna know,” Noct said.  _

_ Carbuncle nodded, and stepped aside.  _

_ “What you seek is just up ahead, Noct. I can’t guide you there, but... I hope you find what you seek.”  _

_ Noct bit on his lower lip in a bid to muster courage, and balled his fists up at his sides. He looked back at his companion with a small smile.  _

_ “Thank you, Carbuncle.” _

_ Noct stepped into the light.  _

_ - _

_ Fire.  _

_ Crackling - flames dancing in the the dark, casting long shadows across a haven, its runes glowing blue.  _

_ Four men, huddled close in their camp chairs. Heads bowed.  _

_ Fists curled. Desperation. Tears.  _

_ Fingers tangled in blond hair. Soft to the touch.   _

_ A ghost of a breath, whispering reverently. A gasp of “Noct-”, cut off by lips on lips.  _

_ Hands on bare skin. Flesh on hot, heated flesh. _

_ Freckles, countless freckles, across flushed cheeks. Shoulders. Chest.  _

_ Shining, violet-blue eyes. Frantic, wide with fear.  _

_ “Just stay with me, Noct,” _

_ Fingers curling around his. Tighter and tighter, until nails dug hard into flesh, shaking.  _

_ Losing grip.  _

_ A name on the tip of his tongue.  _

_ P...  _

_ R... _

_ O... _

_ M... _

-

Noct startled awake. 

He panted as though he had been running, shoulders heaving, lungs screaming as though he was drowning. 

“Prom,” said Noct, testing the name on his tongue, as though saying it out loud would cement it to reality and keep it from slipping through his fingers again. He desperately wanted to remember this.

He reached shaky fingers out for a stray pillow, turning on his side to hold it tight. Snuggling close, Noct tried to replay the dream over and over in his mind, hoping to pick up where it left off. Then he tossed. And tossed again.

Reaching for his phone, Noct squinted as the screen flashed to life, declaring the time at an ungodly 3am. 

_ No use trying to get any sleep now,  _ thought Noct. 

Getting out of bed, Noct knew exactly where he wanted to go. 

-

**_Nyah!_ **

_ Prom was confused. He was dreaming, right? Nothing in reality looks like a swirling cosmos of blue. His phone beeped, and Prom instinctively glanced at it.  _

_ “I don’t have much time, and I’m not even supposed to be here, but listen to me, Prom. Listen hard. Look deep into your dreamscape, dig deep into your memories. I can break the seal, but you don’t have much time.” _

_ Prom looked around, but couldn’t see a thing.  _

_ “Who, and where are you?” Prom typed back.  _

_ “A friend. I’ve been watching over you for a long time now, but you’ve never seen me. The answers to your dreams lie just beyond. I can give you a few moments. Look for what you truly seek - your heart’s desire awaits. Good luck, Prompto!” _

_ Prom was about to protest that he  _ wasn’t  _ Prompto, before his phone suddenly dissipated in a flash of crystalline blue. A tiny white light appeared in front of him, and gradually grew bigger and bigger until he could peek into it.  _

_ Just beyond it was the dark-haired boy he always dreamt of.  _

_ Prom raised his arm to reach out to him, and fell head first into the light.  _

_ - _

_ “I’ll find you again Prom, I promise,” _

_ “Please, let me stay with you... Don’t go!” _

_ “Noct...!” _

-

Prom jerked awake, tears sliding down his cheeks.

He stared ahead in the darkness, eyes wide but unseeing, unable to do anything but huff in short, shallow breaths as he clutched his chest.

It took a couple of minutes, but slowly, Prom’s heartbeat began to slow to an acceptable rate.  Looking around, he realised that he was still on the hilltop.

A crick in his neck and a twinge in his lower back told him that must have fallen asleep against the tree. Groaning, he rubbed the back of his neck, digging his thumb in to relieve the ache.

_ What a dream, _ Prom thought, his mind flashing to the little bits of his dream that were slowly trickling away from memory. The details were fading, yet he couldn’t help the small smile from tugging on his lips, slowly forming a full-blown grin.

The raven-haired boy of his dreams now had a name. 

He glanced at his watch, and it told him it was almost 4am. 

_ Ah well, _ Prom thought,  _ I might as well stay to catch the sunrise.  _

-

Noct traced his steps up the hill, his feet following a pattern he could’ve walked in his sleep. It was earlier and colder than he was used to, but it didn’t bother him. Noct pulled his scarf tighter around his neck and hurried along, trying to keep warm, but his feet turned to lead when he reached the top of the hill. 

His heart thundered in his ears. Noct rubbed his eyes, blinked hard, before rubbing them again. 

He wasn’t still asleep, was he? 

He had to be - because the blond in his dreams was sitting right there, in his favourite spot by the old tree, fiddling with a camera. His hair was down and unstyled instead of spiky like a chocobo’s butt, but everything else was... uncannily, exactly the same. 

_ Prom _ , Noct’s brain said, and it took everything in him to not yell the name out loud. He swallowed the urge, afraid he’d break the spell and wake up panting in the dark to find it was all just a dream. 

He stood rooted to the ground, his mouth gaping, hand tightening its grip around the strap of his backpack. He must have been staring for awhile, because the blond boy seemed to notice his presence all of a sudden and jumped back immediately, swearing up a storm. 

“Bahamut’s left fucking nut - Jeez - warn a guy, will ya? Why the hell are you just standing there in the middle of the night?!” 

“S-sorry,” said Noct hastily, before he shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at his feet. Blasted Astrals, why were his cheeks heating up? “I, um, am not used to seeing people here at this time of night.”

The blond boy heaved a sigh of relief, and muttered something along the lines of “Oh thank the Six he’s not a ghost,” and Noct felt a smile forming on his lips before he could bite it down. 

_ What a dork, _ Noct thought.

“Sorry I yelled,” said the blond boy a little sheepishly, “I- I just got startled, that’s all. Didn’t expect to see another person here.” 

_ Okay Noct, play it cool,  _ Noct reasoned with himself.  _ He’s a real person. Just talk to him. _

“I didn’t expect to see anyone here too. I’m a little earlier today than usual, but I don’t usually bump into people here,” said Noct.

“Really? Me too! I come up here to take night shots. I usually don’t stay this long though, I’m gone before the sun rises. So, um, whatcha doing here in the middle of the night?” asked the blond boy as he visibly relaxed.

“I sketch the sunrise, mostly,” said Noct, walking towards the blond -  _ Prom? _ \- to set his supplies down and pull out his sketchbook.

“Oh, you’re an artist! That’s so cool,” ‘Prom’ said wistfully. 

Noct shrugged and tried to play it cool, sitting down on the soft grass, making sure there was enough space for ‘Prom’ to huddle under the tree with him if he wanted. 

“Nah, I just dabble a little. Not a professional, just a fun hobby, you know?” 

‘Prom’ nodded and ran his fingers through his hair, looking a little bashful and he moved to sit down next to Noct. “Oh yeah? I understand. Photography’s a hobby for me too. Not really good enough to make it my job.” 

Noct smiled a little. Somehow, his gut told him that wasn’t true.

“Show me? I’d like to see your photos.” 

‘Prom’ looked a little uncertain, before glancing at Noct’s sketchbook and biting on his lower lip. “Alright,” he finally said, “But only if I get to see your sketches too.”

“Deal,” Noct grinned.

He flipped open to the most recent piece - his unfinished study on the colours of the dawn - and ‘Prom’ leaned closer for a better look. 

“Whoa, you’re really talented,” ‘Prom’ let out a low whistle. He gestured to the pages of the sketchbook and looked up at Noct with a question clear in his eyes. 

“Go for it,” Noct said, handing the sketchbook over. The blond eagerly flipped to the next piece, before stopping himself with a sheepish look and pulling out his camera.

“A deal’s a deal,” he said, navigating to the latest night shots of the city skyline. With just a touch of apprehension, he passed the camera to Noct. Their fingers brushed lightly, and Noct shrunk back just a little, clearing his throat to steady himself. He couldn’t help but steal a look. 

This close, Noct could see the freckles that dusted 'Prom’s’ cheeks and nose; an ache crept into him, clawing out from the deepest recesses of his heart. There was no doubt. It had to be him. 

He had to do something. 

“Hey,” said Noct with a shy smile, “I’m Noct, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m Prom,” he said softly, returning the smile. He held Noct’s gaze for a beat, before hanging his head to hide behind his blond bangs. 

“But...” Prom said hesitantly, “This is gonna sound crazy but, don’t I know you?”

“Maybe? I don’t know how to explain it but it feels like... Like I’ve known you before,” Noct blurted out before he could help himself. 

Prom’s eyes widened and he gasped, “Me too! Totally weird, but kinda cool too? I don’t know how else to put it either, but yeah... You’re... very familiar.” 

Noct couldn’t help the grin taking over his face. Before he could speak, they were interrupted by the shrill chirping of birds. Noct looked over to the horizon and spotted telltale signs of the dawn. 

“The sun is rising,” he said, handing Prom his camera, “Why don’t you get a shot? I’d love to see what you do. I can work on my sketch and show you, too.”

Prom took the camera and was up on his feet in an instant, wasting no time in setting up his tripod. His fingers flew over the dials with a skilful familiarity, grinning as he peeked through the viewfinder. The sky was lightening now, pushing the darkness back shade by shade. 

“No way I’m passing up a great shot like this,” said Prom. 

Noct chuckled and propped the sketchbook up on his knees, eyes focused on the horizon, hands moving carbon over paper. The first rays were peeking; strands of shining, golden threads weaving their way across the sky. 

Circling back to Noct, Prom sat down next to him, humming a happy tune. Noct couldn’t help but grin - Prom’s energy was infectious. 

“I set a timelapse, so I’m good for awhile. I’m so stoked at how it’ll turn out,” said Prom. 

Noct simply laughed and continued to move his fingers across his canvas. “You’re excited,” he managed to say.

“Of course. I don’t shoot the dawn often. And hey, if I’m bothering you just let me know, okay? I know some artists like their space when they are working,” said Prom, wrapping his arms around his knees, waiting for Noct’s response.

Noct turned away from the rising sun to face him, and was caught off guard by the soft, violet-blue eyes that were locked on his gaze. His breath caught in his throat. He felt a warmth spreading through him, as he thought of lazy afternoons, of dreams of a mysterious blond boy whose smile was brighter than the dawn, and something within him clicked into place. 

“Nah,” said Noct, as his gaze softened into something warm, “Why don't you stay?” 

Prom smiled, stretching his legs out and leaning back on his elbows next to Noct. 

“Sure,” he said, “I’d like that.” 

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And.... that's it :') Curtain call. I hope I did my favourite boys justice. 
> 
> Thank you all for riding out this crazy angst train with me for this long, I really appreciate each comment, each kudos, and I'm just so glad I started writing this. It's a bittersweet farewell, and I can't find the words to describe how.. crazy it is to have finished my first multichap. 
> 
> Thank you guys, you know where to find me <3


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